Two Long Island men will pay a combined total of $15,000 after being convicted of illegal dumping in the protected Central Pine Barrens region.
According to a press release from the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office, on Nov. 6, 2024, Marvin Sandoval and Charles Weiss drove to a remote wooded area to dump a truckload of construction waste and household debris. Two members of the public spotted them and informed the authorities.
Those civic-minded residents will be entitled to a share of the fine as part of the 2023 Evergreen Initiative, which raised the penalties for dumping on public lands and increased the reward for tips to 33% of fines collected from offenders, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney announced.
The Central Pine Barrens Region is the source of Long Island's water supply and is home to a wide variety of plants and animals. These include endangered amphibians and migratory birds such as the eastern tiger salamander and the piping plover, per the Long Island Pine Barrens Society.
Illegal dumping is a widespread problem that has devastating consequences for the local ecosystem. As the Environmental Protection Agency notes, it can pose a health and safety hazard for residents, harm property values, and attract vermin. It can also damage the soil and contaminate water sources. Because offenders tend to choose remote areas, it can be challenging to catch them.
The construction industry produces vast quantities of waste each year — around 600 million tons, per a 2018 EPA fact sheet. Legally disposing of it can be expensive and challenging, so less scrupulous contractors are tempted to avoid the work and costs by ditching waste in rural areas. Even when it's legally disposed of, most construction waste ends up in landfills with the negative environmental consequences they entail.
Still, this case shows that properly enforced legislation and local community action can protect critical natural areas from illegal activity.
As Tierney said in the press release, "My office will protect every square inch of natural space in this county and will respond with swift and aggressive prosecution whenever it is threatened."
|
Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Definitely 👍 
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
