Scrap Dealer Flagged for Storm Water Violations

Upstate Shredding, a scrap metal recycler located in Owego, NY, was charged and given four tickets for storm water violations. Local press reports say that documents by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation noted that the ditches dug rerouted the water runoff to another locations outside the property.

Adam Weitsman, the owner of the facility, said that while he agreed that he committed the violations when he had staff dig two ditches on the property to alleviate significant water, the problem arose after significant rain and flooding this past summer created significant challenges for many residents, as well as businesses in the area. He added that heavy rains through the summer had saturated the facility, creating serious flooding problems. "I didn’t know that I wasn’t supposed to do that," he said.

Weitsman said that when a New York State DEC investigator told him that digging the trenches was a violation he quickly halted the procedure, and all the material was removed within 24 hours of the notice.

Meanwhile, the company is in the process of investing $1.4 million on a storm water treatment plant, which includes adjusting the slope on some parts of the yard. While the facility already has concrete covering the whole yard, Weitsman says that having to reslope some of the property means that the company will have to pour additional concrete on top of some of the existing concrete. He says that roughly 75 percent of the concrete pouring is complete, and expects to have the whole project complete by this coming spring.

The company has a pre-conference meeting with the country district attorney’s office next month.