Brooklyn, NY – A Queens-based cesspool service company, A & L Cesspool Service Corporation, was sentenced in 2017 following a guilty plea to charges stemming from the illegal dumping of sewage waste into waterways across New York City, including the notoriously polluted Gowanus Canal. The company avoided a lengthy trial by entering a plea agreement with federal prosecutors, acknowledging violations of the Clean Water Act and related criminal statutes.
According to court documents, A & L Cesspool, one of the city’s largest providers of sewer cleaning services, held a permit allowing them to dispose of collected waste at designated treatment facilities. However, investigators with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) uncovered a pattern of deliberate circumvention of these regulations. Instead of properly processing the waste, employees were found to have repeatedly dumped it into manholes connected to the Gowanus Canal, as well as locations at John F. Kennedy International Airport, Fort Wadsworth on Staten Island, and a New York City Housing Authority development in Brooklyn.
The investigation revealed a calculated effort to cut costs by illegally disposing of the hazardous waste, potentially exposing the public to health risks and further degrading already vulnerable ecosystems. Prosecutors detailed how the company’s actions demonstrated a blatant disregard for environmental regulations and public safety. The dumping not only polluted waterways but also placed an undue burden on the city’s wastewater treatment infrastructure.
Legal Ramifications
A & L Cesspool pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the Clean Water Act (18 U.S.C. §371), one count of unlawfully discharging pollutants into a waterway of the United States (33 U.S.C. §1317(d)), and four counts of illegally dumping sewer waste in violation of its permit (33 U.S.C. §1311(a)). U.S. District Judge I. Leo Glasser sentenced the company to two years of probation and imposed significant financial penalties totaling $900,000. This included a $375,000 fine, $350,000 in criminal forfeiture, and a $175,000 community service payment directed to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation for projects aimed at revitalizing the Gowanus Canal area.
Official Statements
“Today’s felony guilty plea and sentence demonstrate that polluters face serious consequences for violating the Clean Water Act,” stated Robert L. Capers, then United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. “The Department of Justice is committed to prosecuting businesses who ignore their obligation to keep our waterways clean.” FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney, Jr. added that circumventing proper disposal procedures is a “serious crime,” and the EPA’s Special Agent-in-Charge, Vernesa Jones-Allen, emphasized the importance of adhering to regulations to protect public health and safety.
Key Facts
- Defendant: A & L Cesspool Service Corporation
- Crime: Illegal dumping of sewage waste, violating the Clean Water Act
- Location: New York City, including the Gowanus Canal
- Year: 2017
- Statutes Violated: 18 U.S.C. §371, 33 U.S.C. §1317(d), 33 U.S.C. §1311(a)
- Penalties: Two years probation, $375,000 fine, $350,000 forfeiture, $175,000 community service
- Affected Locations: Gowanus Canal, JFK Airport, Fort Wadsworth, NYCHA development
The case underscores the ongoing federal and local efforts to combat environmental crimes and hold polluters accountable for their actions. The sentencing of A & L Cesspool serves as a warning to other companies that prioritize profit over environmental responsibility.
Source: EPA ECHO Enforcement Case Database
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