Speed Pollutes – Broome County: On May 1, Lt. Kenric Warner responded to a truck rollover on State Route 17 in the town of Windsor. A tractor-trailer hauling residential household waste to the Seneca Meadows Landfill overturned on a bridge over Tuscarora Creek, a tributary to the Susquehanna River.
Waste spilled over the bridge into the stream, onto the highway, and along the side of the highway. New York State Police (NYSP) found vehicle and traffic law violations and ticketed the driver for speeding and an unsafe lane change.
Environmental Conservation Officer (ECO) Eric Templeton followed up on the case and charged the driver with a misdemeanor, contravention of water quality standards based on negligent actions that resulted in the trash ending up in the stream.
The case will be heard in Town of Windsor Court, and the ECL charge can result in fines ranging from $3,750 to $37,500 and/or up to one year in jail.
John Okesson with DEC Spill Response was on scene to monitor the cleanup by National Response Corp. (NRC) out of Syracuse as NRC cleaned up the affected stream and banks. The New York State Department of Transportation helped remove the waste from the roadway.
All Tangled Up – Chenango County: On May 3, Environmental Conservation Officer (ECO) Mary Grose responded to a call of a young red fox tangled in a soccer net at a daycare center in the town of Greene. ECO Grose, assisted by a New York State Trooper, untangled the young fox and, as it was otherwise uninjured and appeared healthy, released the kit into the nearby woods.
The children at the daycare were excited about the opportunity to observe the young fox, witness the rescue, and listen to guidance provided by ECO Grose regarding safety around wild animals.
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