AG & DEP Go After Illegal Dumping in Pinelands  

Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal and Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Catherine R. McCabe announced today that the State has taken action to force the closure of an unauthorized solid waste dumping operation in Ocean County. In a lawsuit filed today in New Jersey Superior Court, the DEP alleges that Sam S. Russo and two companies under his control are operating an illegal solid waste disposal facility on a 94-acre property Russo owns in Plumsted Township. Russo illegally accepted thousands of tons of woodchips, asphalt millings, crushed concrete and other materials onto his property in exchange for more than $300,000 in disposal fees.

 “Attorney General Grewal and the DEP are holding Sam Russo accountable for illegally dumping hazardous material in Plumsted. It’s important that the AG and the DEP are finally putting some force into enforcement. For too long polluters and illegal dumpers have gotten away with environmental destruction and today is an important step to hold them accountable. Sam Russo has been profiting from polluting our environment and clean drinking water. Over the past year, he has illegally dumped over 40,000 tons of waste in Plumstead that has killed hundreds of fish and aquatic habitats. said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.“It is important that Attorney Grewal and the DEP are putting force into enforcement because it acts as a deterrent.”

The complaint alleges that the unpermitted solid waste facility threatens the local environment. Among other things, contaminated runoff from the dump site poses a risk to nearby ground and surface waters. The complaint details the basis for DEP’s suspicion that pollutants from Russo’s illegal operation were discharged into a stream on the property and killed hundreds of local fish and aquatic plants in a downstream pond on two separate occasions in 2018.

 “The site is in the middle of the Pinelands where Russo accepted thousands of tons of hazardous materials. Asphalt millings have all different kinds of chemicals in them like coal tar, heavy metals, benzene. Recycled concrete also contains all kinds of metals and PCBs that can impact drinking water. Russo’s facility is in the Pinelands, and these toxic materials can impact local wells, streams and aquifers.,” said Tittel. “New Jersey has to stand up these illegal dumping’s because the impacts it has to our drinking water and the Pinelands. We must also make sure that polluters like Russo cleans up his illegal toxic mess.”

Illegal dumping of contaminated materials damages the environment and public health, and can be very costly to taxpayers. A bill, S1683 (Smith), released by the Senate Energy and Environment Committee would help tighten regulations by expanding the requirement for background checks to a broader range of persons involved in the solid waste industry, such as sales persons, consultants, and brokers. But the overriding problem continues to be DEP’s lack of enforcement.

“It’s good that the state is finally stepping up when it comes to preventing illegal dumping, but we need to do more. The state still needs to pass and tighten standards on dirty dirt. New Jersey has a history of contaminated materials coming into our state, in part because DEP chooses not to regulate these chemicals. DEP needs to set and enforce standards for toxic materials to prevent any more possible dumping,” said Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.