DEC, DOT Team Up To Stop Illegal Dumper In Nassau County

FREEPORT, NY — An alert highway supervisor with the New York State Department of Transportation saw a man in a white van dump piles of fifill material — soil and similar material used in construction and maintenance — on the ground at a southbound exit of the Meadowbrook Parkway in Freeport on the afternoon of May 22.

He tried to follow the van, which had Connecticut plates, but the driver sped away when they noticed they were being followed. He also saw a separate dump pile of the same fill material at a northbound exit of the parkway.

He reported the illegal dumps to environmental conservation police at the state DEC. Using evidence collected at both locations, ECO Lawrence Pabes tracked down a suspect at his residence in Freeport. After investigation, the officer issued the man a Notice of Violation for illegal disposal of solid waste, which carries a penalty of up to $15,000.