New York Attorney General Letitia James announced that her office secured $100,000 from Salvatore Cascino, a former Bronx business owner, and his company, Ten Mile River, LLC (Ten Mile River), for illegally dumping waste in Dutchess County. Cascino used his property along the Ten Mile River to dump waste, including in and around sensitive freshwater wetlands. In 2019, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) reached a court-approved settlement requiring Cascino to clean up the illegal landfill and restore the wetlands; however, a 2024 DEC inspection revealed that Cascino had failed to follow through. Now, Dutchess County Supreme Court Judge Christi Acker has ordered Cascino to fully clean up the site, fix the environmental damage, and pay a $100,000 penalty, plus another $99,200 if he fails to complete the cleanup on schedule.

“Salvatore Cascino and his company broke the law and harmed some of our state’s most valuable natural areas. After years of profiting off illegal dumping and abuse of natural resources, today, we are holding him accountable. I am grateful to Commissioner Lefton and DEC for their collaboration, and together, we will continue to champion environmental protection and safeguard New York’s natural resources.” – AG James