Illegal Dumping at West Hills County Park Caused Severe Contamination

Lab results from the dumping of “suspicious materials” at West Hills County Park in Melville shows severe environmental contamination to the area, Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota said Thursday.

The discovery of processed construction materials on the grounds and a knocked down tree by the Suffolk County Department of Parks in August led to a criminal investigation. The investigation revealed that illegal dumping occurred at the park from October of 2015 to August of this year, Spota said.

“What we believe to be hundreds of tractor trailer loads of highly toxic and acutely hazardous and contaminated debris were brought into the Sweet Hills Riding center at West Hills County Park in the Town of Huntington and spread throughout the area, on average, 3 ½ feet deep to 6 feet deep,” Spota said in a press release.

The area of contaminated land was located close to Sweet Hills Riding Center, a facility used for boarding horses, horseback riding and as a summer day camp. Approximately 15 acres of the 855 acre parkland was subsequently closed off to the public after the discovery of the processed construction materials and entry into the riding center was not permitted during the investigation. Park Rangers have since been monitoring the location to keep it secure.

The laboratory analysis found six acutely hazardous substances in the dumped debris. The substances are pesticide components that have been banned for use since the 1980’s. The chemicals were Dieldrin, Aldrin, Heptachlor, Endrin, DBCP and Lindane.

The hazardous substances found were:

• PCB’s, which are used as cooling agents for transformers and are considered a known carcinogen.
• Metals including copper, nickel, sodium, zinc and lead in concentrations at least double than what is normally found in soil.
• Semi volatile organic compounds, Hydrocarbons, which are basically petroleum byproducts.
• Volatile organic compounds including toluene, which is a solvent/degreasing agent.
• Asbestos, which causes small metal-like fibers that if inhaled, cause pulmonary scar tissue and lung disease.

Most of the debris appear to be finely processed construction and demolition debris, Spota said.

There were more hazardous substances found at West Hills County Park than what was found at Roberto Clemente Town Park in Islip. The park also had higher concentrations than the pollutants that were discovered at the Brentwood facility where the illegal dumping of construction debris was discovered in 2014.

Spota believes since there was a widely reported prosecution of those responsible for the dumping at Roberto Clemente Park, illegal dumpers have changed how they operate to avoid detection.

“Construction and demolition debris from New York City, instead of being directly brought to Suffolk County and dumped - as was the case Brentwood at Clemente Town Park - is now being brought to processing locations where the dumpers have their construction debris and rubble pulverized into finely processed fill in an attempt to make it appear to be ‘clean’ fill,” Spota said. “Instead, it is full of acutely hazardous and hazardous chemicals and other material.”

To lawfully dispose of construction and demolition material containing acutely hazardous and hazardous substances, it costs $1,500 to $5,000 per truckload for transport to a DEC-permitted facility.

Many dump their loads in public parks to avoid the expenses and tipping fees to make bigger profits, Spota said.

Images of Dumping Debris via Office of Steve Bellone