New York Attorney General Letitia James has announced the enforcement of a $100,000 penalty against ex-Bronx business owner Salvatore Cascino and his company, Ten Mile River, LLC, for illegal dumping activities that have threatened the wellbeing of Dutchess County's natural habitats. According to a recent statement obtained by the Attorney General's Office, violations were uncovered during an inspection by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) in 2024, exposing Cascino's failure to follow through on previously agreed-upon cleanup measures.
The DEC's investigation, initially settled in court in 2019, required Cascino to not only clean up the waste but also restore the area with native flora. Despite an approved action plan coming into place in 2022, subsequent inspections revealed that Cascino had yet to even begin to clean up effectively. In light of these facts, DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton stated, “Illegal dumping in wetland areas can damage the environment long after the dumping occurs.” She further stressed the purpose of their joint efforts was to send a clear message that New York state's natural spaces are far from being a dumping ground for illegal waste, as per the Attorney General's Office.
Under the reinforced court order issued by Dutchess County Supreme Court Judge Christi Acker, Cascino is now bound to fully clean up the polluted site, repair environmental damages, and commit to a penalty of $100,000. Additionally, the order stands to impose a further $99,200 fine if Cascino fails to complete the cleanup on the now-enforced timelines. This stringent response emerges from the blatant flouting of state laws designated to safeguard these vital areas, including the New York Freshwater Wetlands Act, which upholds strict regulations against encroaching on such ecologically significant locales.
Enforcing this restitution, the office of the Attorney General declared that noncompliance would not go unchecked. Attorney General James remarked, "Salvatore Cascino and his company broke the law and harmed some of our state’s most valuable natural areas," articulating a stance echoing across the agencies striving to protect New York's environs. This legal development aims to finally hold accountable those who, driven by negligence or greed, saw fit to imperil natural resources under public trust, the Attorney General's Office noted.
The case has been managed on behalf of the OAG by Senior Enforcement Counsel Andrew J. Gershon and Assistant Attorney General Max Shterngel, under the helm of Environmental Protection Bureau Chief Lemuel Srolovic.
