Environment DEC
From the September 2009 issue
Discharges into Ausable River Lead to Fines
Indian Pass Ranch, LLC has plead guilty to two Environmental Conservation Law misdemeanors stemming from a September 2007 discharge of sediment from a dam into a tributary of the West Branch of the Ausable River. Uncontrolled sediment discharges can damage aquatic habitat by silting over stream bottoms.
DEC investigated the incident, and eventually, Indian Pass Ranch pleaded guilty to disturbing the streambeds and repairing a dam without the required DEC permits.
The Ausable River Association will receive $22,500 of the settlement for conservation and maintenance of the river.
Under the plea settlement and the consent order, Indian Pass Ranch paid a total of $62,250 in fines and penalties. Of that, $22,500 went to the Ausable River Association to be used for the conservation and maintenance of the river. In addition, Indian Pass Ranch must complete repairs, in accordance with the conditions of a permit authorizing the repairs, to bring the dam into compliance with all dam safety regulations.
