New York AG Protected Communities against Hazardous Waste Disposal

MARCH 31, 2022

New York Attorney General Letitia James, along with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), announced the indictment of a shipping company for improperly disposing of wooden beams that contained a hazardous wood preservative called creosote, which New York began phasing out in 2008 and which must be disposed of at a DEC-approved facility. The AG’s office and DEC conducted a joint investigation after the Kentucky-based company failed to dispose of the wooden beams at an approved site and then attempted to cover up its illegal activity by falsifying receipts saying that the material had been deposited at a disposal facility. The indictment charged the company and its vice president, Harold Young, with multiple felony charges, which could result in up to 15 years in prison and $1 million in fines.