L.I. Salvage Yard Owner Accused Of Dumping Automotive Fluids Into The Ground

MINEOLA, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Motor oil, anti-freeze and hydraulic oil may be good for your car, but they're bad for the environment.

A Long Island business owner is accused of dumping thousands of gallons of the fluids right into the ground, CBS 2's Carolyn Gusoff reported.

John Doxey, 44, the owner of a salvage yard in Glen Cove, was arrested Monday and accused of allowing thousands of gallons of toxic automotive fluids to seep into the ground just feet from a waterway.

"You can't just decide that you're gonna cut corners because you don't feel like paying and you don't feel like taking the extra step and the extra time that it requires to properly dispose of these fluids," Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice said.

Glen Cove Police were tipped off by a nearby merchant. They said Doxey's salvage yard was slicked with toxic fluids, petroleum, hydraulic fluid, transmission fluid and antifreeze -- literally pouring at times from large trucks.

As workers dismantled trucks to salvage parts, police said they had no regard for the toxic mess they allegedly left behind. The salvage yard is now padlocked closed. Doxey pleaded not guilty to endangering public health and polluting charges.

The yard sits on the Glen Cove Waterway, which empties into the Long Island Sound. It is just blocks from Glen Cove's recently decontaminated waterfront.

"This is an individual who is known to work outside the law to make money with no remorse and without any worry about what he does to the environment," Glen Cove Mayor Ralph Suozzi said.

If convicted, Doxey faces up to four years in prison and a fine of up to $75,000 per day for each day of dumping. He is due back in court on May 23.

Officials believe they caught the dumping before it got into the ground water, but runoff is still a concern.

In addition to criminal charges, Doxey will also be slapped with a cleanup bill for the site, which could reach into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, officials said.

The Department of Environmental Conservation said the owner recently moved from another site in Glen Cove and the soil will have to be tested there as well.

Share your thoughts in the comments section below...