EPA v. Suffolk County, New York

Case summary

Defendant failed to comply with release detection monitoring, upgrading, recordkeeping and other requirements for underground storage tanks at forty-five facilities the Defendant owns or operates throughout the county. In addition, the Defendant failed to make a hazardous waste determination for a waste stream that it generated. The proposed settlement requires the Defendant to (i) pay a civil penalty (ii) undertake various compliance steps, and (iii) undertake a Supplemental Environmental Project. The SEP requires the Defendant to implement a Land Acquisition and Environmental Restoration Project for the purpose of helping to protect groundwater in the County?s Sole Source Aquifer from discharges of pollutants. The Defendant is required to spend $1,500,000 for either the purchase of uncontaminated land and/or the restoration of land through the removal of contaminated materials which are sources of releases of contamination to the environment. The Defendant is required to manage such land and any associated ecological resources into perpetuity to protect or enhance groundwater.

Defendants (1)

• Suffolk County, New YorkNamed in complaintNamed in settlement

Facilities (45)

• CENTERREACH, DPW HWY MAINTENANCE YARD

  NICHOLLS ROAD, CENTERREACH, NY, 11720

  Registry ID: 110040073407

• SUFFOLK COUNTY POLICE ACADEMY

  110 OLD COUNTRY ROAD, WESTHAMPTON, NY, 11977

  Registry ID: 110035435758

• 3RD POLICE PRECINCT

  1630 FIFTH AVENUE, BAY SHORE, NY, 11706

  Registry ID: 110040073256

• SOUTHHAVEN PARK

  VICTORY AVENUE, BROOKHAVEN, NY, 11719

  Registry ID: 110040070810

• 6TH POLICE PRECINCT

  RTE 25, SELDEN, NY, 11784

  Registry ID: 110040051699

• FIREMATICS TRAINING CENTER

  YAPHANK AVENUE, YAPHANK, NY, 11980

  Registry ID: 110040051797

• POLICE HELICOPTER FACILTIY

  100 ARRIVAL AVENUE, RONKONKOMA, NY, 11779

  Registry ID: 110040051760

• SUFFOLK COUNTY DPW

  335 YAPHANK AVE, YAPHANK, NY, 11980

  Registry ID: 110004389475

• COHALAN COURT COMPLEX

  400 CARLETON AVENUE, CENTRAL ISLIP, NY, 11722

  Registry ID: 110040074353

• SUFFOLK COUNTY PROBATION C110

  CR 21 YAPHANK AVENUE, YAPHANK, NY, 11980

  Registry ID: 110040058308

• RIVERHEAD POWER PLANT

  NORTH COUNTRY ROAD, RIVERHEAD, NY, 11901

  Registry ID: 110040051430

• SUFFOLK COUNTY DPW MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT

  CO-16 NORTH COUNTY COMPLEX, HAUPPAUGE, NY, 11788

  Registry ID: 110035435730

• HUNTINGTON, DPW HWY MAINTENANCE YARD

  OAKWOOD ROAD, HUNTINGTON, NY, 11743

  Registry ID: 110040051467

• SD #1 PORT JEFFERSON

  PS #1 - BARNUM AVENUE, PORT JEFFERSON, NY, 11777

  Registry ID: 110040074371

• S.D. #7 TWELVE PINES

  WOODSIDE AVE, MEDFORD, NY, 11772

  Registry ID: 110009149938

• …and 30 more

Statutes cited

• RCRA 3002 — Standards Applicable to Generators of Hazardous Waste
• RCRA 9003 — UST Release Detection, Prevention, Correction Regulations

Enforcement conclusions (1)

• Suffolk County, New Yorkentered 2014-02-24

  Primary law: RCRA

  Federal penalty: $500,000 · SEP: $1,500,000

Timeline (7 milestones)

• 2009-09-30Referred To Dept Of Justice
• 2009-10-01Enforcement Action Data Entered
• 2013-12-17Complaint Filed With Court
• 2013-12-18Final Order Lodged
• 2014-02-24Final Order Entered
• 2014-02-24Concluded
• 2020-02-26Enforcement Action Closed