Riverkeeper, an environmental group located in the New York City area, has sent notices of its intent to sue several companies that the environmental group claim are illegally disposing of wastes in the Newtown Creek waterway, a small waterway that runs between Brooklyn and Queens.
The companies, Riverkeeper allege, have dumped toxic materials and other forms of pollution into the creek. The group claims that the dumping is in violation of the Federal Clean Water Act.
Among the accused companies are Allocco Recycling, a construction and demolition firm; and Newtown Metal Corp., a scrap metal recycling operation.
The group said the five threatened lawsuits are the first wave of a large-scale push to clean up Newtown Creek, which they said is among the most polluted waterways in the country, according to the New York Daily News.
While the environmental group does not have any legal powers, other than to file civil complaints, the organization hopes that by publicizing the claims the companies being accused of dumping wastes into the waterway will improve their storm water runoff problems.
Additionally, a spokesman for Riverkeeper says the environmental group is hoping that it will be able to spur increased dialog with the companies being accused of polluting the water.
Further, Basel Seggos, a spokesman for Riverkeeper, says that Hugo Neu Schnitzer, one of the largest scrap metal recyclers on the East Coast, is a very involved company with the environmental group.