Business Accused of Spreading Pesticides Illegally in New Castle Faces Fines up to $17,500

A business and two men were charged recently in Westchester County under state environmental laws — the former for unlawful pesticide use and the latter for several violations while fishing on a reservoir.

• On August 5, while patrolling the town of New Castle, ECOs Tom Koepf and Geoff Younglove observed a landscaping company applying a pesticide to a residential lawn. The officers conducted a compliance check on the company and found multiple pesticide violations. The manager of the company, J. Martinez Construction, LLC, admitted that his landscaping company was not registered to work with pesticides and that he did so to make extra cash. The landscaping company was issued seven tickets from the ECOs for violations that include Operating an Unregistered Pesticide Business, Failing to Place Warning Markers, Applying Pesticide Without Certification, Failing to Provide Pesticide Information to the Occupants of the Dwelling, and Unlabeled Pesticide Containers. The tickets are returnable to the New Castle Town Court, where the company faces charges of up to $17,500.
• On August 7, while on patrol in the town of Somers, ECO Tom Koepf observed three vehicles parked on the shoulder of the road at a popular fishing location on the Muscoot Reservoir. Dusk was approaching, and the ECO observed three boats out on the water. Koepf put himself at a good vantage point along the shoreline and observed the fishermen through his binoculars. One of the boats contained two men who were fishing and drinking beer. Koepf observed one of the men place an empty beer bottle into the water over the side of the boat, allowing it to fill with water and sink to the bottom. The fishermen paddled to shore about a half hour later where ECO Koepf was waiting for them. Inside the boat was an empty cardboard package from a six pack of beer. When questioned as to the whereabouts of the beer bottles, the two men became speechless. They eventually admitted to throwing some of the beer bottles on the shore and sinking the others in the water. Neither of the subjects had a PFD on the boat, and one of them had been fishing without a license. A total of five tickets were issued by Officer Koepf for Unlawful Disposal of Solid Waste, Insufficient PFD’s on a Vessel, and Fishing without a License, all returnable to the Town of Somers Court. One of the subjects’ parents was also contacted to give the two men a safe ride home.

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Environmental Conservation Officers (ECOs) enforce the 71 Chapters of NY Environmental Conservation Law, protecting fish and wildlife and preserving environmental quality across New York.

In 2015, the 268 ECOs based across the state responded to 25,000 calls and issued 22,000 tickets for crimes ranging from deer poaching to corporate toxic dumping to illegal mining, black market pet trade and excessive emissions violations.

“From Montauk Point to Mount Marcy, from Brooklyn to Buffalo, the ECOs who patrol our state are the first line of defense in protecting New York’s environment and our natural resources, ensuring that they exist for future generations of New Yorkers,” said Commissioner Basil Seggos. “They labor through long and arduous hours, often deep in our remote wildernesses or in the tight confines of our urban landscapes, and without much public fanfare. But their work centers around the most important things we do at the DEC."