KERHONKSON – For a year,
Sean and April Van Heusen have been looking at a dozen dump truck loads
of C and D material dumped on their driveway. They have been trying to
have it removed from their Kerhonkson property with no success to date.
But, now that the state has charged 12 corporations in Suffolk County with illegal dumping on Long Island and in the Hudson Valley, they are hopeful their property will be cleaned up.
April Van Heusen said they have been facing a number of problems because
of the mess:
“The kids don’t have anywhere to play and my neighbor is calling the constable on me,” Van Heusen said. “I had goats and I had chickens; I had to get rid of them because of the whole situation. I lost my animals. She called CPS (Child Protective Services) on me because my kids were climbing on the dirt.”
April Van Heusen, last year, surrounded
by dumped debris
and with her husband, Sean
Ulster County Executive Michael Hein termed “disgraceful” what has happened.
“What is going on is obviously people using our community as a dumping ground,” Hein said. “It is nothing short of something that needs to be attacked and addressed and obviously hold everyone accountable. The fines will be severe and if there isn’t the ability to hold someone accountable, it is clearly the responsibility of the DEC to step forward and identify a process by which things can be cleaned up.”
Authorities aren’t stopping there. They say the investigation is ongoing and they expect to make more arrests.
