3 From Fairfield 'Fill Pile' Case Charged With New Violations

FAIRFIELD, CT — Three of the defendants in the Fairfield "fill pile" case have been hit with new illegal dumping charges after tests found significant levels of PCBs under the town's Penfield Pavilion, reported the Connecticut Post.

Scott Bartlett, Joseph Michelangelo and Jason Julian were charged with illegal disposal of polychlorinated byphenyls, which are carcinogens. Bartlett, a former town Public Works superintendent, Michelangelo, the former DPW director, and developer Julian are already awaiting trial in connection with the case.

Patch reached out to Tamberlyn Chapman, the senior assistant State's Attorney prosecuting the case, for comment, but did not immediately receive a reply.

The case began nearly a decade ago, when work was supposed to begin on reducing the size of a fill pile in Fairfield. Instead, the pile, which contained contaminants, grew, which led to criminal and environmental investigations that resulted in the arrests of Bartlett, Michelangelo, Julian and four others.

Cleaning up the mess is costing the town millions of dollars, and could lead to the rebuilding of the Penfield Pavilion for a third time; the first one was heavily damaged by Hurricane Sandy, and now the second one might require razing.

Read the Connecticut Post story.