Assemblyman Ramos Announces a Bill he Co-Sponsored Increasing Penalties for Illegal Waste Disposal Passes Assembly and Senate
Assemblyman Phil Ramos (D-Brentwood) announced that a bill he co-sponsored to increase penalties for illegal waste dumping, an increasingly common issue on Long Island, has passed in the Assembly and the Senate (A.10803-A).
“Illegal waste dumping not only harms the environment and disrupts natural ecosystems – it also hurts the hardworking taxpayers who are forced to pay for the damage these bad actors have caused,” said Ramos. “This type of behavior has become a significant problem on Long Island and has absolutely no place in our state. I’ll always fight for legislation that will help keep our communities safe and clean for generations to come, and that starts with holding these criminals accountable.”
The legislation would establish stronger penalties for individuals and organizations who intentionally dispose of construction and demolition waste or hazardous substances in an unlawful manner. Following the illegal dumping scheme discovered at Roberto Clemente Park between 2014 and 2018, Ramos worked with the Islip officials to clean the community park and bring the perpetrators to justice.1, 2 This legislation provides another outlet for officials to hold individuals accountable and promote environmental justice, Ramos noted.
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1. therealdeal.com/2019/04/15/nycs-development-boom-created-an-illegal-dumping-problem-on-long-island/