General Contractor Cited for Dumping Substance into River

A general contractor with a crew working on a home under construction on Durkin Place in Old Greenwich was issued a misdemeanor summons Thursday for the alleged illegal dumping of a substance into a nearby river, according to police.

The GC’s identity was not disclosed, but they were charged with discharging without a permit, and they will be responsible for the cost of cleaning it up.

Police had received a complaint of an unknown white substance flowing in a stream behind a home at 68 Sound Beach Ave., and the responding officer traced it back to a home under construction at 8 Durkin Place.

“Storm drains on that property were covered in a white substance and it was obvious that workers had dumped some construction materials into the drain that was flowing toward Binney Park,” said department spokesperson Lt. Kraig Gray in a statement.

In addition to police, representatives from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the Greenwich Wetlands Department also responded.

“Per CT DEEP, the substance will just sit and dissipate through normal water flow and rain,” said Gray, adding the substance is not believed to be hazardous.

Patch file photo by Barbara Heins