The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Amanda Lefton and New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit against Harbourview Realty LLC to force the company to stop discharging pollutants that are affecting Long Island water quality. In the complaint New York State alleges the company is violating the Clean Water Act and is seeking an immediate cease to illegal activities, as well as civil penalties.
“DEC is committed to holding polluters accountable,” said DEC Commissioner Lefton. “The facility's ongoing noncompliance with environmental law required immediate action to protect local residents and the environment. I am grateful to Attorney General James for partnering with DEC on this case to immediately end the ongoing contamination of the Roslyn community.”
“Clean water is a basic right for every New Yorker," said Attorney General James. "For too long, Harbourview Shoppes has polluted Hempstead Bay with illegal discharge, putting families and communities in Roslyn at risk and violating our environmental laws. I am proud to partner with DEC to fight this unlawful pollution and protect Long Island’s waters."
The ongoing pollution being discharged from Harbourview Shoppes in the Village of Roslyn, Nassau County, to the municipal storm sewer is negatively impacting Hempstead Bay water quality and is in direct violation of the Clean Water Act.
New York State, along with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, are taking joint civil action against Harbourview Realty LLC, MRL Realty Corp., and Mary Hauptman, as owners and/or operators of Harbourview Shoppes. The lawsuit is seeking injunctive relief to eliminate illegal, unpermitted discharges, including contaminants, to the municipal storm sewer system and civil penalties for discharging pollutants into waters of the United States.
DEC’s investigation discovered illegal, unpermitted discharges from Harbourview Shoppes’ on-site French drain system that captures the Shoppes’ grease, oils, foam, suds, fecal coliform, bacteria and contaminated surface runoff. Through illicit pipe connections, the system discharges from the shopping center to a municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) owned and operated by Nassau County, which connects to a second MS4 owned and operated by the Village of Roslyn. Harbourview Shoppes does not have an approved State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) permit or coverage under the General permit despite repeated attempts by DEC to bring the facility into compliance.
New York State will continue to closely monitor the facility, collect additional data, and hold the facility accountable for any and all violations that occur during this legal process.
