NY cautions residents about fill from city
State officials are warning Hudson Valley residents to be wary of offers for free fill.
In the wake of the largest illegal dumping takedown in state history, area residents are being warned to be wary of offers for free fill.
Individuals planning to receive fill from New York City must notify the state Department of Environmental Conservation five days before the materials are delivered, and landowners should inspect the materials before allowing them to be dumped on their property, according to an advisory issued by the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
“As the saying goes: A deal too good to be true probably is,” said Commissioner Basil Seggos in the release outlining steps residents should take to ensure they don’t become victims of illegal dumping practices.
He urged landowners to be “skeptical” if a contractor offers free fill and to refuse any materials coming from New York City without proper documentation.
In July, charges were brought against 24 persons and 12 corporations, including a Suffolk County company implicated in illegal dumping in the town of Rochester in 2017.
The state Department of Environmental Conservation found 10 illegal dump sites in Ulster County and two in Dutchess County as part of its investigation, which, according to agency officials, is ongoing.
A spokesman for the Department of Environmental Conservation declined to identify the Ulster County locations, citing the continuing investigation, but at least one of those sites is located in the town of Rochester, where in 2017, two dozen truckloads of contaminated soil — instead of the clean fill sought for the yard — were dumped at the home of Samsonville resident April Van Heusen.
The material reportedly tested positive for several toxic chemicals, including arsenic and lead.
According to the Department of Environmental Conservation, once contaminated
soil is placed on a property and graded, it can be costly and difficult to remove it.
In addition to notifying the Department of Environmental Conservation five days prior to receiving any materials coming out of New York City, landowners are urged to request documentation of the origin of the fill and its transportation. If the generator or contractor cannot provide copies of the “Notification of Fill Materiel Transport” and “Part 360 Series Waste Tracking Document,” the homeowner should refuse the shipment.
Residents in the Hudson Valley with questions about accepting fill should call the agency at (845) 256-3138.
Witnesses to or victims of illegal dumping should call the state’s 24-hour poacher and polluter hotline at (844) 332-3267.