Cleaning Up Mount Vernon's DPW Yard

MOUNT VERNON, NY — Crews are moving thousands of yards of dirt, rock and building new material bins, removing broken fences, and establishing a new perimeter as work continues to transform the Department of Public Works' current yard.

It's all part of an initiative bringing the city into compliance with EPA regulations and starting the revitalization of the 241 acres of waterfront property, which hold the promise for bike lanes running from the yard to Willson’s Woods Park, refurbished ball fields, and a boat launch, said Mayor Richard Thomas.

Conditions at the yard drew public attention at the end of 2017 when the New York Department of Environmental Conservation imposed a $55,000 fine on Mount Vernon. The DEC said city officials and employees actively polluted the Hutchinson River at the yard, with illegal dumping, storing unpermitted waste, and dumping waste into the river. It was the second fine from the DEC in 2017 — the first was $40,ooo for illegal dumping at Memorial Field.

It was an add-on to the $90 million in penalties the city faces from the federal Environmental Protection Agency for its refusal to repair its failed public sewers, which have dumped raw sewage into the river for 20 years. The US Department of Justice announced it would sue the city in August.

PHOTOS/ Office of the Mayor

ALSO SEE: More Pollution, Another Fine For Mount Vernon