A Queens Marina owner is facing four years in jail for dumping raw sewage into Jamaica Bay.John Schmitt, 56, who owned Schmitt's Marina in Broad Channel, was convicted of discharging untreated waste from sinks and toilets into the fragile ecosystem, state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday.
The conviction comes at the end a 20-year-old saga between Schmitt and various government agencies, which have accused him of unlawful use of city-owned land and illegal dumping.
Broad Channel marina owner guilty of dumping sewage, faces jail
The feds sued Schmitt's Marina in 1989, claiming he unlawfully expanded his family boatyard to create space for more than 200 boats. Schmitt's Marina was ordered in 1998 to remove tons of debris from the marshland.
Schmitt found himself in trouble again in February 2007 when the city said he damaged about 9 acres of marshland by polluting the area with fuel, concrete and other toxins. At the time, city sheriffs ordered him off the property at W. 19th Road.
This week's conviction was the result of a state probe launched two years ago.
And this comes from a QC reader: "Guess they didn't get the memo... There are houses on Shellbank basin in Hamilton Beach (off of Howard Beach) doing the same... Nobody says a word..."
In the meantime, the health of the Bay is being adversely affected.
3 comments:
Shellbank Basin is not in Hamilton Beach. Houses on Shellbank Basin have sanitary sewers. Houses in Hamilton Beach also have sanitary sewers.
They meant the Hawtree Basin
I know the houses they are talking about... There are two that are right on the water. Toilet flushes? Whoosh of water right out into it. Doing dishes/taking a shower? Well, then the drainage into the basin is soapy.
Come see for yourself. But I know for sure of at least two houses doing it.
maspeth moms says...
they should throw the book at that ecological thug.
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