Filed Under: County | Westchester

Westchester District Attorney
Richard A. Daronco Courthouse.
111 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., White Plains, NY 10601
http://www.da.westchester.ny.us/

Environmental Crimes Bureau: (914)-995-3460

The Environmental Crimes Bureau (ENCB), operational since September 1994, contains one attorney and two full-time investigators. Each of the bureau members has extensive experience in handling long-term, complex investigations, in addition to expertise in the area of environmental law.

The geography of the county has made Westchester a prime target for illegal dumping of construction and demolition (C&D) materials, and the site of illegal solid waste transfer stations. Hundreds of businesses within the county are subject to environmental regulation, including hazardous waste generators, water discharge permittees, petroleum and chemical bulk storage facilities and facilities which discharge air contaminants. All of these businesses are subject to possible prosecution for criminal violations of the environmental conservation law. Criminal violations of the Labor Law relating to asbestos abatement are also investigated and prosecuted by the ENCB. Additionally, the jurisdiction of the ENCB includes areas along the Hudson River, Long Island Sound and the New York City reservoir system and its adjoining watershed properties.

Prior to the creation of the bureau, there was sporadic enforcement in Westchester of the environmental criminal laws. Prosecutorial resources available to the regulatory and enforcement agencies were limited and thus, many environmental crimes within the county did much to foster the belief that environmental wrong-doers would largely remain unpunished, and served to create an atmosphere where environmental crimes could grow. The establishment of the ENCB and its continuing enforcement and prosecution efforts has helped to dispel this belief. With the creation of the ENCB, agencies dealing with environmental problems and regulations, as well as the general public, now have access to a local prosecutor trained to handle environmental matters.

In addition to the investigation and prosecution of cases, the ENCB has conducted environmental training and awareness for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Westchester County Police Training Academy, New York Prosecutors Training Institute, DEC, DEP and the Hazardous Materials Response Team. Members of the ENCB have also participated in the District Attorney's Office Community Relations Program.