SAUGERTIES – The State Department of Environmental Conservation issued two notices of violation ordering the owners of three illegal dump sites in Saugerties to shut down operations and begin removing all of the waste on those sites.
According to the notices, issued to Joseph and Rachel Karolys, the dumping sites violated state clean water and solid waste laws and regulations 39 times, putting neighbors and waterways at risk.
Kathy Nolan, senior researcher for Catskill Mountainkeeper, said the orders are good news to residents of the area.
“The DEC apparently looked at all the materials that had been submitted to them and they had inspected the site and they put together a list of dozens of violations that were present on the three properties owned by Joseph and Rachel Karolys and basically shut them down by informing them that it is illegal to proceed in the face of those regulations,” she said.
Nolan said the DEC decision is a good one for the community.
“Shutting this down means that the life of the Town of Saugerties can return to something can return to something much more near normal,” Nolan said.
Just last month, Joseph Karolys said his operation was perfectly legal and was not violating any regulations.
