Connecticut Attorney General, DEP Take Action After Discovery Of Second Illegal Dump

August 29, 2006 -- Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal today requested a court order against the operators of an illegal solid waste facility in Milford after discovering those same defendants have been operating a second illegal dump in Stratford.

Blumenthal filed a motion seeking a temporary injunction against Associated Carting, Inc., and D.C. Waste Management, Inc. on behalf of Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Gina McCarthy. Gus Curcio, Jr. is president of Associated Carting, which merged with D.C. Waste Management.

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State inspectors, working on a tip, discovered that Associated Carting - already being pursued for operating an illegal dump at 990 Naugatuck Ave. in Milford - is also operating an illegal dump at 520 Success Ave. in Stratford.

"This repeated environmental law breaking is brazen and blatant - deserving the stiffest penalties available for serial offenders," Blumenthal said. "This illegal dump is an environmental and public health hazard - threatening surrounding water and soil, and menacing every person living or working in the vicinity, not to mention creating an unsightly mess and quality of life disgrace. These defendants are clearly operating full-scale solid waste collection facilities - without proper permits and completely unlawful. Associated Carting is up to its neck in garbage and legal problems - and we will aggressively pursue every penalty possible."

DEP Commissioner McCarthy said, "We now know that Associated Carting's violation of environmental laws and regulations is not confined to Milford. The company has also been operating an illegal transfer station in Stratford. We will continue working with the Attorney General's office to shut down and clean up the Milford operation and we have now initiated strong action to do the same in Stratford. Transfer stations cannot operate without required permits. The permitting process ensures proper regulation and oversight of these facilities to protect natural resources and the public health. Governor Rell has made it clear that solid waste facilities across the state must obey the law and we will not allow Associated Carting - or anyone else - to skirt these requirements."

The DEP last week received a report of the delivery of a large container of solid waste to the Stratford site. Inspectors visited the site and discovered about 12 large roll-off containers filled with municipal solid waste, including bagged trash, furniture, carpet, Styrofoam, bubble wrap, planters, pallets, wire, metals and empty recyclable consumer containers. Containers were also filled with construction and demolition debris.

Many of the waste-filled containers were not covered by a tarp or other protective covering to prevent rainwater from spreading the waste material to the ground.

Several of the containers featured "Associated Carting" or the "D/C" logo painted on their sides. Inspectors said the waste appeared to have originated elsewhere, collected or received, as part of a commercial operation transferring and storing sold waste.

According to town records, since March the site has been owned by a corporation called Success, Inc., which does not hold a state license to operate a solid waste facility there.

Blumenthal and McCarthy said the site - threatening contamination of water and soil - poses a public health and fire hazard to people in the vicinity.

Blumenthal and McCarthy have additional motions pending against Associated Carting and D.C. Waste, including a request for a contempt order for disregarding a July 3 order to stop operating and clean up the Milford site. A Sept. 5 court hearing is scheduled on that matter.

Through today's court action, Blumenthal and McCarthy are asking for an order to:

* immediately stop transporting waste and collecting it at the newly discovered waste operation at 520 Success Ave., Stratford - near the Bridgeport/Stratford line;

* within 10 days, remove all solid waste from the site and dispose of it at one or more permitted solid waste facilities and;

* within two days of removing all solid waste from the site, provide the DEP Commissioner proof of proper disposal, including copies of weight tickets and/or receipts from those permitted facilities.

Source: Connecticut Attorney General