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Carleton Pulley, age 48, of Bay Shore, was arraigned on charges of endangering public health and related offenses in Suffolk County Court on Wednesday, Aug. 30.
According to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, a police officer witnessed Pulley unloading tires from a tractor trailer on the grounds of the former Pilgrim State Psychiatric Center in Brentwood on Sunday, April 23.
The officer quickly realized that Pulley had unloaded multiple tires and other items, including hazardous waste that had been stored in containers.
Crews from the Department of Environmental Conservation and the Town of Islip HAZMAT Unit were called in to clean up the site and collect evidence.
Testing revealed an array of hazardous materials, including arsenic, cadmium, chromium, and lead.
Prosecutors said the site was fully remediated with no environmental impacts, an effort that cost the property owner and Town of Islip more than $30,000.
“This defendant allegedly disposed of dangerous materials illegally in order to avoid the fees that he would have been required to pay had he disposed of them properly,” said Suffolk County DA Raymond Tierney.
In court Wednesday, Pulley was arraigned on the following charges:
- Endangering public health, safety, or the environment (felony)
- Unlawful disposal of hazardous waste (misdemeanor)
- Criminal mischief (felony)
- Unlawful disposal of solid waste (violation)
He was released from custody following his court appearance. If convicted of the top count, he could face up to seven years in prison.
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