Cuomo
NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) - New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo on Thursday announced his office has filed a lawsuit against a Westchester-based waste hauling company over allegations the business illegally dumped raw sewage into a New York City drinking supply stream.
Cuomo said the lawsuit alleges that in 2006, Timothy Price, a waste hauler for Chappaqua Septic, Inc., dumped septic tank and cesspool waste containing raw sewage, condoms, sanitary napkins and other noxious and offensive wastes into a neighborhood stream in the Town of New Castle, which is a tributary to a New York City drinking water supply.
The tributary supplies 10 percent of the City's drinking water, according to Cuomo.
Cuomo said testing confirmed that the dumping of raw sewage and cesspool waste polluted the stream with high levels of harmful bacteria associated with human waste.
The lawsuit seeks to require Price and Chappaqua Septic to pay substantial civil penalties for violation of state environmental laws, including more than $100,000 for violation of New York's clean water laws.
In addition, the defendants face penalties of up to $11,250 for violating Chappaqua Septic's state-issued permit to transport and dispose of septic and cesspool wastes.
The State is also seeking a court order mandating the defendants pay for the investigation and environmental cleanup costs.
"This individual disregarded the law and common sense when he dumped a tanker full of sewage into a tributary to New York City's drinking water supply," Cuomo said.
Cuomo's latest lawsuit is part of an ongoing string of state and federal environmental law challenges. So far, the State has collected $1.2 million in water pollution settlements.