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Contractor fined for illegal fill below the high water mark

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In early September Riverkeeper Patrol documented and reported contractors grading and filling below the high water mark at a private beach in one of the communities in the upper Estuary.

DEC issued a number of tickets to the contractor for working in the intertidal zone and placing fill below the high water mark without permits. The state agency deemed the contractor the responsible party, rather than the property owner, and a court appearance ticket and fines were issued.

This enforcement is small change in the scale of things but well worth the effort. It sends a strong message and hopefully has the effect of deterring other would-be violators. At least the word will get out in this community that working in the river without a permit is a bad idea. The River gets a say.

We often say that the River has suffered “a thousand cuts.” Each cut matters. So we try to do what we can, when we can.

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A contractor in one Hudson River community was fined this month after DEC officers, acting on evidence provided by Riverkeeper, investigated reports of grading and filling below the high water mark. Hopefully, this kind of enforcement will serve to deter other would-be violators working along the Hudson.

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