Man hit with severe penalties for repeated crimes at protected wetlands: 'Today, we are holding him accountable'

After being accused of illegally dumping waste around freshwater wetlands, a New York business owner will be forced to pay a massive fine and clean up his mess.

According to a press release from Attorney General of New York Letitia James, Salvatore Cascino is on the hook for a $100,000 fine after he failed to adequately remediate his illegal waste site in Dutchess County, New York.

In the original complaint from 2009, Cascino was accused of violating the solid waste and freshwater wetland provisions of New York State's Environmental Conservation Law.

In 2019, Cascino reached a settlement with the Office of the Attorney General and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation after his materials processing company, Ten Mile River, LLC, used freshwater wetlands along the Ten Mile River to illegally dump waste.

As part of that agreement, Cascino was required to clean up the site and to help restore the wetlands.

However, the DEC determined that Cascino failed to properly follow through with his end of the deal. As a result, the former businessman was hit with a $100,000 fine — and the threat of an additional $99,200 penalty if the cleanup is not completed in time.

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"Salvatore Cascino and his company broke the law and harmed some of our state's most valuable natural areas," Attorney General James said in a June statement. "After years of profiting off illegal dumping and abuse of natural resources, today, we are holding him accountable."

As the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service noted, New York has between 2.2 million and 2.4 million acres of wetlands throughout the state. This includes both freshwater and tidal wetlands.

Wetlands play a vital role in the environment, offering a range of ecological benefits. They improve water quality by filtering pollutants, reduce the risk of flooding in surrounding areas, and provide critical habitats for diverse plant and animal species.

DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton emphasized the seriousness of Cascino's actions.

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"Illegal dumping in wetland areas can damage the environment long after the dumping occurs," Lefton said. "DEC's thorough investigation and the joint enforcement action with Attorney General James resulted in holding this repeat violator accountable and sends a strong message that New York state's natural spaces are not a dumping ground for illegal waste disposal."

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