Safety Inspectors Charged with Fabricating Hundreds of Gas Pipeline Test Results Throughout New York City and Westchester

 

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and the New York State Inspector General, Lucy Lang, announced the unsealing of an Indictment charging LIAM TREIBERT and MICHAEL VASCONCELLOS with wire fraud arising out of their scheme to defraud a regulated utility company (“Utility-1”) in connection with fraudulent safety inspections of natural gas pipelines that Utility-1 was installing throughout New York City and Westchester County.  TREIBERT was arrested today in North Carolina and will be presented in Raleigh federal court.  VASCONCELLOS was arrested today in New York and will be presented in White Plains federal court.

“As alleged, Liam Treibert and Michael Vasconcellos violated the trust placed in them to ensure the safety of natural gas pipelines that were being installed throughout New York City and Westchester County,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton.  “They lied about having performed hundreds of inspections and then covered up those lies with fraudulent paperwork.  Their actions put the lives of New Yorkers at risk.  The safety of New Yorkers is of paramount importance to our Office.”

“When deliberate misconduct - as alleged here - puts entire communities at risk, those responsible must face swift and decisive consequences,” said New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang.  “Today’s arrests, made in partnership with the Southern District of New York, demonstrate my agency’s unwavering commitment to protecting critical infrastructure and pursuing accountability on behalf of all New Yorkers.”

Read the Indictment here. 

As alleged in the Indictment:[1]

Between at least in or about 2016 and 2023, TREIBERT and VASCONCELLOS were supposed to perform safety inspections of welds on natural gas pipelines that were being installed throughout New York City and Westchester County.  Those inspections were necessary to ensure that the welds did not contain defects that could cause gas leaks or explosions.  TREIBERT and VASCONCELLOS lied about having inspected hundreds of welds that they never actually reviewed and created fraudulent records to cover up what they had done.  As a result, Utility-1 paid for hundreds of sham inspections and were deceived by TREIBERT and VASCONCELLOS into thinking that its pipelines had passed critical safety tests that TREIBERT and VASCONCELLOS never performed.

As part of the pipeline installation process, Utility-1 or its contractors would typically place gas pipelines into the ground in segments and then weld those segments together.  Before a pipeline could be put into service, the welds throughout the pipeline had to be inspected to assess their quality.  Those inspections included non-destructive testing.

One common form of non-destructive testing of pipeline welds involved radiographs, often referred to as x-rays.  Radiographic testing required a team to radiograph each weld and then examine the films to identify any defects in the welds.  If a defect was identified, then the weld would have to be repaired before the pipeline was put into service.  Failure to repair a defect before a pipeline was put into service could have led to critical failures, including gas leaks or explosions.

During the period alleged, TREIBERT and VASCONCELLOS, while performing radiographic testing for Utility-1, repeatedly engaged in a practice referred to in the non-destructive testing industry as “radaring.”  Radaring typically involved radiographing the same weld twice and then passing off one copy of films as having come from a second weld.  For instance, a radiographer might radiograph Weld A twice, and then claim that the second set of films are of Weld B, even though the radiographer never inspected Weld B.

In total, hundreds of welds across Utility-1’s pipelines installed throughout the Bronx and Westchester County between in or about 2016 and 2023 were affected by radaring engaged in by TREIBERT and VASCONCELLOS.  And although TREIBERT and VASCONCELLOS did not actually inspect those welds, invoices for those inspections were submitted to Utility-1.  Utility-1 paid those invoices through, among other methods, bank transfers.

TREIBERT, 30, of Wendell, North Carolina, and VASCONCELLOS, 44, of Mahopac, New York, are each charged with one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.

Mr. Clayton praised the investigative work of the Offices of the New York State Inspector General and the special agents with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment, and the description of the Indictment set forth herein, constitutes only allegations, and every fact described therein should be treated as an allegation.

MAYOR ADAMS, COMMISSIONER CAMPION ANNOUNCE NEW CITY HEALTH PLAN MOVES TO NEXT STEP FOR MUNICIPAL LABOR COMMITTEE APPROVAL

 

Proposed Plan Would Provide Expanded Network of Doctors, More Coverage for pre-Medicare Retirees Living Outside of New York City Area, While Maintaining Premium-Free Coverage with Continued High-Quality Care for City Employees 

 

Active Employees and Pre-Medicare Retirees to Have Expanded Network While Potentially Saving New York City Taxpayers up to $1 Billion Per Year 

 

If Approved and Implemented, Plan Would Mark First Successful Procurement for New Primary Health Plan for City Employees in Over 40 Years 

 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Office of Labor Relations (OLR) Commissioner Renee Campion today announced the joint proposal from EmblemHealth and United Healthcare for a new health plan for active city employees, pre-Medicare retirees, and their dependents is being sent to the Municipal Labor Committee (MLC) for ratification. The city, in collaboration with the MLC, has negotiated directly with Emblem and United since they were selected on June 2, 2025. The proposed plan would continue to provide high-quality, premium-free coverage along with an expanded network of doctors and mental health specialists across the nation. If approved by the MLC, and finalized through the city’s contracting process, the new plan would be effective on January 1, 2026.

The proposed plan is the product of a years-long procurement process — the first in over four decades — conducted in collaboration with the MLC, and would support 75 percent of the city’s workforce and their families, ensuring 750,000 employees, pre-Medicare retirees, and their dependents have the most high-quality, affordable, health care options available. Additionally, the proposed plan would cut the cost of the city’s primary health plan by more than 10 percent — saving taxpayers up to $1 billion — while simultaneously expanding, instead of reducing, benefits and coverage.

“Our city employees dedicate their lives to making our city a better place and looking out for their fellow New Yorkers. They deserve the absolute best health care and benefits we have to offer, and, with this plan, we are giving them exactly that,” said Mayor Adams. “We are proud to enter the next phase in the process to deliver better quality health care to 750,000 employees, retirees, and their dependents. This will give enrollees more options in selecting their doctors, including for those living outside of New York City, while keeping health care affordable and saving the city as much as $1 billion. I want to thank Commissioner Campion and our union partners for coming together to tackle this dynamic issue, which only our administration was willing to take on.”

“I am excited to announce that, following intensive negotiations with EmblemHealth and United Healthcare, this proposed plan is being sent to the MLC for approval. This plan will leverage the city's purchasing power to provide more doctors, more mental health providers, and a broad national network to 750,000 employees, pre-Medicare retirees, and dependents while saving up to $1 billion per year,” said OLR Commissioner Campion. “Thank you to MLC Executive Board members Harry Nespoli, Henry Garrido, Michael Mulgrew, Gregory Floyd, and Gloria Middleton for working with us during this negotiation, and we look forward to the MLC’s vote.”

Under Emblem and United’s proposal, city employees, dependents, and pre-Medicare retirees in the New York City area will have access to more primary care doctors, more specialists, more nurse practitioners and physician assistants, and more mental health providers. Additionally, over 80,000 covered members living outside the New York area — for the first time — will have access to a broad national network, especially benefitting pre-Medicare retirees who have moved out of the region and are often forced to go out of network for coverage or pay a premium for a plan that provides coverage where they live. Overall, over 200,000 covered members have used doctors who are currently out of network and will be in network under the proposed plan.

Emblem and United’s proposed plan leverages the 750,000 covered lives under this plan and is projected to save the city nearly $1 billion per year, stabilizing health care costs that have sharply increased in recent years.

The proposed plan would — also for the first-time ever — give New York City a self-funded insurance plan, the standard for all large employers, including the New York State Health Insurance Plan covering state employees, greatly reducing the costs of providing the plan with no effect on the quality of coverage.

The award of the contract is subject to the successful finalization and approval of a contract through the city’s procurement process.

Today’s news builds on the city and MLC’s collaboration over the past decade to continue to provide high-quality, premium-free health care coverage to city employees, retirees, and dependents, while simultaneously protecting taxpayer dollars by reigning in health care costs. These efforts have allowed city employees to continue to receive their health insurance at no premium cost to them, a benefit few other employers offer.

New York State Announces Effort to Bolster New York State’s Youth and Family Peer Advocate Workforce

 

More Than $2.7 Million Awarded to Not-for-Profit Community-Based Organizations to Recruit Advocates with Lived Behavioral Health Experience

The New York State Office of Mental Health today announced that 10 community-based organizations have launched a state-funded effort to expand New York State’s youth and family peer advocate workforce and address existing shortages. With individual one-time grants of $275,000, these not-for-profit organizations are now beginning outreach efforts to identify, train and credential individuals with lived experience or family caregivers for those living with mental illness or behavioral health issues to become youth and family peer advocates.

“Family and youth advocates can relate to the emotional struggle so many New Yorkers experience as they begin the path to recovery and are in a unique position to help,” Office of Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan said. “Recruiting and training them will help us fill an increasing need so many service providers are experiencing across the state. With this funding, these community-based organizations will aid our efforts to ensure everyone in our state has access to mental health care that is sensitive to their needs.”

This spring, OMH provided awards to community-based organizations in five distinct regions of the state, including three in the New York City area, and seven elsewhere in the state. They include:

• Interborough Developmental, serving Brooklyn
• Pesach Tikvah Hope Development, Inc., serving Staten Island
• Brooklyn Bureau of Community Services, serving Queens
• MHA of Erie County, serving Erie Niagara, Genesee, and Orleans counties
• Housing Options Made Easy, Inc., serving Erie and Cattaraugus, and Chautauqua counties
• MHA of Rochester/Monroe County, serving Monroe, Livingston, and Ontario counties
• Central Nassau Guidance and Counseling, serving Nassau and Suffolk counties
• Integrated Community Alternatives, serving Oneida, Herkimer, Fulton, Montgomery, and Madison counties
• Vanderheyden Hall Inc., serving Albany, Rensselaer, Schenectady, Warren, and Washington counties
• Mental Health America of Dutchess County, serving Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, and Ulster counties

These organizations will provide stipends at aimed incentivizing youth and family peer advocates to participate in the credentialing process and as an employment bonus once they are credentialed and providing services. Each provider is required to employ or place 15 youth or family peer advocates into the workforce, meaning the program will help attract at least 150 individuals into this emerging field.

By investing in peer advocates, the state can expand this workforce and help address ongoing shortages. Through these grants, not-for-profit community-based organizations will work within their region to establish collaborative partnerships, such as with social and membership clubs, places of worship, and other local agencies, which have connections within populations that are historically underserved.

Peer advocates use personal experience to provide direct support services to help individuals in their recovery and can also be key stakeholders in shaping program development. These Credentialed peers are critical to the efforts to expand New York State’s continuum of mental health services, including as a component in residential, inpatient, and outpatient and community-based crisis services.

Credentialed youth peer advocates are between 18 and 30 years old, with a self-identified first-hand experience with emotional or behavioral challenges, or co-occurring disorders. Credentialed family peer advocates are those who self-identify as having lived experience as a parent or primary caregiver who has navigated the mental health care system on behalf of a child with social, emotional, developmental, or behavioral healthcare needs.

Under Governor Kathy Hochul’s leadership, New York State has prioritized the growth and development of the behavioral health workforce. She helped establish the Community Mental Health Loan Repayment Program, which has allocated more than $41 million to help roughly 1,000 workers –including psychiatrists, nurse practitioners and other licensed professionals –repay college loans, provided they agree to work in local mental health programs in New York State for three years.

This program was recently expanded to include a round of funding dedicated to mental health practitioners serving children and adolescents in programs under OMH or the Office of Children and Family Services statewide. This round is expected to reach more than 200 additional professionals dedicated to youth mental health services.

OMH also participates in the state Department of Labor’s Registered Apprenticeship Program in partnership with the State Education Department. Registered apprenticeship features standardized training aligned to real-time industry need, regulated by rules at both the state and federal level and includes a nationally recognized and portable credential upon completion.

The agency continues to grow its partnership with State University of New York and City University of New York campuses, to increase workforce diversity. Through this partnership, SUNY and CUNY are providing funding to support tuition assistance, paid internships, and direct stipends for minority and multilingual students entering or enrolled in mental health degree programs.

OMH is also creating a paraprofessional credential for a mental health support specialist in New York State. The agency is now developing the core competencies and training for this credential.

Governor Hochul Celebrates Record $3.4 Billion Investment in Water Infrastructure in State Fiscal Year 2025

Environmental Facilities Corporation's Financial Assistance is Making Projects Affordable for New Yorkers, Safeguarding Drinking Water, and Improving Water Quality in Support of Nation-Leading Clean Water Goals

More Than a Half Billion Dollars Awarded to Local Governments that Worked with Governor Hochul’s Community Assistance Teams

Track Investments with EFC’s Project Impact Dashboard

Governor Hochul announced the Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC) surpassed $3.4 billion in executed financial assistance agreements for 328 local water infrastructure projects across the State during State Fiscal Year 2025 — a 55 percent increase in year-to-year funding. This record investment is making crucial projects affordable for New Yorkers and empowering local communities to undertake critical drinking water and sewer projects. These projects improve water quality, safeguard public health and the environment, support local economic growth, and contribute an estimated 30,000 good-paying jobs. These numbers reinforce EFC’s critical role as New York State’s water infrastructure bank.

“With EFC’s record $3.4 billion investment, along with millions in additional State funds from partner state agencies, New York is delivering on its promise of affordable, reliable and safe water for all New Yorkers,” Governor Hochul said. “We’re transforming communities, protecting public health and ensuring every New Yorker can count on clean, safe water without breaking the bank.”

EFC’s historic investment was made possible by Governor Hochul’s continued grant funding commitments for clean water, and federal funding through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. This financial support bolstered the State Revolving Funds and accelerated progress on essential clean water and drinking water projects, supporting public health, environmental protection and resilience in communities statewide.

The State Revolving Funds are New York’s primary financial mechanism for advancing its clean water goals, providing financing and grants to local governments. State Revolving Fund interest rates are below market rate, and with long repayment periods, communities may save significantly on debt service compared to traditional financing. Repayments of principal and interest to EFC provide recurring revenue to EFC so it can offer financing to additional communities to rehabilitate, replace and modernize aging infrastructure in the State.

Through strategic, innovative financing, EFC delivers a 300 percent return on investment on the federal capitalization grants to the State Revolving Funds. For every federal dollar invested, New York turns that into $3, through state matching funds, bond sales, and loan repayments — maximizing federal impact and fast-tracking progress toward clean, resilient communities.

Fully funded State Revolving Funds are necessary for New York to be prepared to meet the ongoing need for communities to repair, rehabilitate and modernize aging infrastructure in the future. Access to affordable financing increases investment in water infrastructure, which can prevent costly catastrophic system failures and alleviate pressure on utilities to raise rates, providing relief to many families already struggling to pay their water bills.

This record-setting $3.4 billion investment reflects the cumulative impact of project funding announcements made by Governor Hochul following each meeting of EFC’s Board of Directors from April 2024 through March 2025. These regular milestones marked key moments of progress, authorizing municipal access to funding. Each project was added to EFC’s Project Impact Dashboard upon execution of a funding agreement, allowing the public to track local benefits.

EFC’s annual Program Metrics Report highlights the impact and momentum toward the Governor’s clean water goals, ensuring that communities across New York are empowered to deliver safe, affordable, and modern water infrastructure for generations to come. Highlights of this year’s report include:

Record Single-Year Investment Tops $3.4 Billion

• $2.6 billion in grants and low-interest financing for sewer infrastructure:
  • Includes $530 million in federal IIJA funding through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund.
  • Investments supported construction of new treatment plants and rehabilitation of existing systems.
  • Investments continue to span critical areas of need, ranging from the construction of new treatment plants to widespread rehabilitation efforts that extend the lifespan and reliability of existing systems.
• $821 million in grants and low-interest financing for drinking water projects:
  • Includes $97 million in federal IIJA funds through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund.
  • Funding is helping communities affordably invest in life-saving system improvements, modernizing aging systems, replacing lead service lines and tackling emerging contaminants statewide.

Community Assistance Teams Deliver More Than a Half Billion Dollars

• Governor Hochul’s Community Assistance Teams, launched in 2023, expanded EFC’s technical assistance program.
• More than $591 million in low-interest financing and $63 million in grants has been awarded to municipalities that worked directly with the Teams.
• Teams provided targeted guidance to help communities navigate the funding process and address their clean water needs.

Transformative State Water Grants Make Projects Affordable

• $445 million in Water Infrastructure Improvement and Intermunicipal Water Infrastructure Grants awarded in November 2024.
• $127 million in enhanced grants to sewer projects in small and rural communities, delivering on Governor Hochul’s State of the State. Enhanced grants double awards from 25 percent to 50 percent of eligible project costs, reducing the financial strain of critical projects on local ratepayers.
• $66 million in enhanced grants awarded to drinking water projects addressing emerging contaminants.
• Enabled replacement of aging systems, enhancement of treatment processes, and long-term improvements in water quality and sustainability.

Wastewater Infrastructure Engineering Planning Grants Jumpstart Projects

• $23.2 million has been awarded since the program’s inception.
• These grants help municipalities prepare required engineering reports, a key step in the EFC financing process, to advance fiscally sound and well-designed projects to construction.
• These grants have enabled $1.2 billion in financing through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund.

Green Infrastructure Funding Strengthening Resiliency in Flood-Prone Communities

• $60 million was awarded in the inaugural round of Green Resiliency Grants.
  • Launched in 2024, these grants are a key element of Governor Hochul’s extreme weather adaptation strategy.
  • Nearly half allocated to New York City projects.
  • The program is supported in part by the Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act of 2022.
  • Projects will reduce stormwater runoff, mitigate flooding, and expand green space.
• 11 projects completed in FY 2025 with funding from the Green Innovation Grant Program are managing more than 49 million gallons of stormwater annually.
  • The program helps communities implement solutions that reduce strain on traditional infrastructure, improve water quality and resilience, and foster economic development.

Getting the Lead Out Without Burdening Local Ratepayers

• Governor Hochul awarded $100 million in State Lead Infrastructure Forgiveness and Transformation Grants to 12 communities.
• Federal IIJA funding has provided $240 million to New York for lead service line replacement.
• The State is using innovative repayment structures to ensure certain projects are 100 percent grant-funded upon completion — with no burden on local ratepayers.

Bond Transactions Generate More Than $280 Million in Savings

• Series 2024 A was closed in April 2024 on behalf of New York City. The transaction is providing $208 million in savings for New York City ratepayers.
• EFC closed on Series 2024 B in September 2024, providing a savings of $15 million to ratepayers in 38 communities.
• Series 2025 A and 2025 B were new money deals that closed in February 2025 and included financing for 27 communities, providing an estimated $58 million in savings for local ratepayers.

FOUR TEENS INDICTED FOR BRUTAL BEATING AND FATAL STABBING OF 14-YEAR-OLD ANGEL MENDOZA IN PARK

 

Murder Recorded on a Cell Phone

Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark announced that four Bronx teens were indicted on second-degree Murder and related charges in connection to the fatal stabbing of a 14- year-old boy at a Bronx playground. 

District Attorney Clark said, “These defendants, two of whom are boys, allegedly beat, pistol whipped and stabbed the victim, turning a playground into a killing field. The senseless murder of Angel Mendoza has devastated his family and friends and shocked the entire community. We will hold accountable those who ended this boy’s life. We will get justice for Angel and endeavor to bring some semblance of peace to his loved ones.” 

District Attorney Clark said the defendants, Andrew Ansah, 18, of W. Moshulu Parkway, and Jordan Williams, 18, of Reservoir Oval, were arraigned today on second-degree Murder, first-degree Manslaughter, first-degree Gang Assault, second-degree Gang Assault, fourth-degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon and two counts of second-degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Darlene Goldberg. They are remanded. They are due back in court on November 18, 2025. Their co-defendants, who are 16 and 15 years old, have been indicted on the same charges and are scheduled to be arraigned in the Youth Part on September 2, 2025. 

According to the investigation, on August 5, 2022, at approximately 7:40 P.M. the four defendants entered Williamsbridge Oval Park to allegedly retaliate after the brother of the 15- year-old defendant had been stabbed earlier that day. Despite not having been involved in the earlier incident, Angel Mendoza was approached by the 16-year-old boy who displayed a Taurus .9mm handgun and allegedly struck Angel in the face with the firearm. The 15-year-old boy, Ansah and Williams also allegedly hit and kicked the victim in his head, face and body repeatedly. 

At one point, the defendants allegedly stabbed the victim, once in the chest and once in the abdomen. The mortally wounded boy was rushed to Jacobi Hospital where he died from his injuries.

As part of the investigation, detectives obtained cell phone video which showed the defendants carrying out the attack. The video also revealed two additional assailants who have not yet been apprehended.

District Attorney Clark thanked NYPD Detective Frank Delgado of the Bronx Homicide Squad, NYPD Detective Daniel Baca, Lieutenant Thomas Demkiw, and Police Officers Klorentin Nokaj, Sami Mujevic and Yeimy Melo Nin of the 52nd Precinct for their work in the investigation.

An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt.

Shipping Company Fined $2M for Maritime Pollution Offense

 

V.Ships Norway A.S. (V.SHIPS) pleaded guilty to violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships and was sentenced to pay a $2 million fine. V.Ships admitted that oily bilge water and oily waste was discharged from the Motor Tanker Swift Winchester (M/T Swift Winchester) and the discharges were omitted from the Oil Record Book.  

“Dumping oil-contaminated waste into the waters around our ports and coasts violates the law and poses an unnecessary health and environmental hazard,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “The crew took pains to hide their illegal activity by knowingly keeping inaccurate records. We will not turn a blind eye to this kind of irresponsible and fraudulent activity.”

“The Gulf of America and the Texas ports are amazing places with great natural beauty. They are also vital to our economy,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs for the Eastern District of Texas. “When a foreign ship operated by a foreign company discharges polluting wastes, it threatens waters that are vital to the United States and the state of Texas. We will hold those responsible for polluting the Gulf of America accountable.”

“The criminal prosecution of this case underlines our commitment to enforcing the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships” said Acting U.S. Attorney Ellison C. Travis for the Middle District of Louisiana. “The illegal discharge of bilge water and oily waste from vessels poses a significant threat to our waters and marine life and by holding those accountable who violate these standards, we send a clear message that we will not tolerate actions that endanger our environment. We remain dedicated to ensuring that the maritime industry operates responsibly and in compliance with environmental laws.”

“Coast Guard Marine Inspectors, Pollution Responders and Investigating Officers undergo rigorous and specialized training to detect and gather evidence of environmental crimes. This expertise alongside our federal partnerships was crucial to the successful prosecution of this violation,” said Capt. Jennifer Andrew, the Commanding Officer of Marine Safety Unit Port Arthur. “The Coast Guard maintains one of the world’s most comprehensive and thorough vessel inspection programs, and we will continue to leverage this robust capability to ensure strict compliance with domestic and international maritime laws.”

Between February 2022 and August 2022, a hose was connected between the incinerator waste oil tank and the sewage holding tank on the M/T Swift Winchester. This allowed oily waste to transfer into the sewage holding tank and then to be discharged directly into the sea, bypassing required pollution prevention equipment. A low-ranking engine crewmember reported this to a Superintendent at V.Ships. The Superintendent investigated the matter and discovered what appeared to be oil in the sewage tank. V.Ships dismissed the Chief Engineer.  In August 2022, the new Chief Engineer ordered the engine crew to clean the Oil Water Separator (OWS) filter. The engine crew took the filter onto the deck and hosed it down with a degreaser and the oily waste washed directly overboard through a scupper.

Coast Guard members from U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Port Arthur conducted an examination, during which an engine room crewmember disclosed the discharges and provided photographic and video evidence documenting the illegal discharges. The M/T Swift Winchester entered Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Aug. 25, 2022, and Port Arthur, Texas, on Sept. 7, 2022, with a knowingly falsified Oil Record Book.

Photo of OWS filter on deck before being unrolled. Photo is from United States v. V.Ships Norway, A.S., number 25-CR-00039 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.

Photo depicting oily waste draining into scupper. Photo is from United States v. V.Ships Norway, A.S., number 25-CR-00039 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.

U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Port Arthur and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service investigated the case.

Pelham Parkway Neighborhood Association Back To School Giveaway

 

DEC ANNOUNCES ANNUAL TEMPORARY CLOSURE OF TWO SHELLFISHING AREAS

 

Two North Shore Areas to Close Saturday, Aug. 30; Areas Expected to Reopen Thursday, Sept. 4

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced the temporary closure of two shellfishing areas on the north shore of Long Island during the upcoming Labor Day holiday period. DEC imposes these closures during busy holidays to protect public health from potentially contaminated shellfish associated with increased boating activity. Boaters are reminded to use pump-out facilities to help protect these waters.

DEC is designating the following areas on the north shore of Long Island as closed to the harvest of shellfish beginning at sunrise on Aug. 30:

• 445 acres in a section of Oyster Bay Harbor, town of Oyster Bay, Nassau County; and
• 347 acres in northern Port Jefferson Harbor, town of Brookhaven, Suffolk County. 

Shellfish harvesting is expected to resume in these areas on Sept. 4. If poor weather causes fewer boaters to visit these areas, DEC may rescind the closure and reopen the areas earlier to harvesting. A recorded message advising the public about temporary closures of any shellfishing areas in New York State is accessible 24 hours a day by calling (631) 444-0480. The recorded message also advises harvesters when such areas have reopened. Information, including maps showing the affected areas, is available on DEC's website. 

Since 1995, DEC has designated these areas as temporarily uncertified for the harvest of shellfish during the Fourth of July and Labor Day holidays. During peak holiday periods, discharges from marine sanitation devices (toilets) may contaminate nearby shellfish beds with pathogenic bacteria or viruses, rendering the shellfish unsafe for human consumption. 

Boaters should be aware that Oyster Bay Harbor and Port Jefferson Harbor are designated as no-discharge zones in their entirety. A no-discharge zone is a designated body of water where the discharge of treated or untreated boat sewage is prohibited. Boaters in these areas should utilize the following pump-out facilities:

• Oyster Bay Harbor (West Harbor, Town of Oyster Bay): The town of Oyster Bay operates a pump out boat at no cost to boaters within West Harbor and Oyster Bay Harbor. Hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. Contact the pump-out boat via marine radio VHF channel 9 or by cell phone at (516) 375-9864. In addition, the town provides two pump-out stations on floats near the Oyster Bay Marine Center and Waterfront Park and a land-based pump-out in the town marina at Theodore Roosevelt Park; and
• Port Jefferson Harbor (town of Brookhaven): The town of Brookhaven operates a pump-out boat (no fee) in Port Jefferson Harbor. Hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Boaters may contact the town's pump-out boat via marine radio VHF channel 73. In addition, the town provides a pump-out station on its transient dock, east of the boat launch ramp and west of the charter fishing vessels. 

A full list of No Discharge Zones in New York State, including other Long Island waters, can be found on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's website. View the Temporary Shellfish Closures maps on DEC's website.