GOSHEN- Officials from the Town of Goshen are cracking down on illegal dumping and unlicensed junkyards, having recently secured a guilty plea on a series of code violations issued to a local property owner for violating the town’s junkyard and outdoor storage policy.
Kenneth Sullivan of Goshen pled guilty to 28 counts of code violation before the Judge Amanda Brady in town court. Two parcels owned by Sullivan were the subject of the proceeding, receiving 14 violations per property. Among the violations issued were citations for an unscreened junkyard and for importing fill without a permit.
Goshen town code requires all junkyards be screened from public view. Town rules also prohibit property owners from importing fill without a permit because if the fill were contaminated, runoff could carry contaminates to neighboring properties.
The court ordered Sullivan to pay $7,000 in fines, clean up both parcels of junk, properly file permits, and retain an engineer to survey and submit a report on any damage.
Town Supervisor Joseph Betro says he is taking the approach of dealing with these problems head-on. “The Town is not sitting still and waiting for the intervention from agencies like the DEC; we are getting ahead of the issue and taking legal action to protect the environment from potentially hazardous materials. My number one focus is the well-being of our residents.”
Sullivan is scheduled to reappear in court in January of 2024.
