Albion man sentenced to prison for illegal dumping
Photo courtesy of DEC: A pile of bags filled with debris is shown at Tonawanda Wildlife Management Area.
BATAVIA – An Albion man was sentenced to 1 to 3 years in state prison on Nov. 27 for his role in illegally dumping asbestos waste in Genesee County.
Carl Rivers, 50, was arrested on Jan.3, 2019, for allegedly dumping asbestos waste and other debris on the Tonawanda Wildlife Management Area in the town of Alabama in May 2018.
With forensic evidence obtained from the illegal dump site, investigators identified Rivers as a person of interest. During an interview with investigators, Rivers admitted to dumping the asbestos waste and the other debris, the Department of Environmental Conservation said.
The charges followed an investigation conducted by DEC’s Bureau of Environmental Crimes Investigation into the illegal dumping of approximately 20 bags of friable asbestos and other household and demolition debris.
In addition to the prison sentence, Rivers is required to pay restitution to the state for $13,347.07 in cleanup costs, and $667.35 in surcharges.
BECI lead investigator, Mark Wojtkowiak, worked closely with the Genesee County District Attorney’s office on the prosecution of this case. Also assisting in the investigation was the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division, New York State Department of Labor’s Asbestos Control Bureau, and DEC’s Division of Law Enforcement Environmental Forensic Unit.
