Riverkeeper Watchdogs, Patrol boat, and DEC police bust tire dumper on the Harlem River

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Riverkeeper has received numerous reports over the past year of large numbers of tires floating in the Harlem River near Spuyten Duyvil. During a patrol in June Riverkeeper boat captain John Lipscomb observed floating tires and discovered a large tire dump containing what appeared to be several hundred tires behind a self storage facility on the Harlem River.

Riverkeeper reported the tire dump to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Division of Law Enforcement who already had a criminal complaint pending against the site for tire dumping reported several months earlier. On August 15 the DEC police officer assigned to the case inspected the site to confirm that it had been cleaned up and all tires had been placed in a large roll-off container for proper disposal.

Riverkeeper’s collaboration with DEC law enforcement on this case is the result of a new enforcement partnership formed in spring 2009. This case demonstrates the importance of Riverkeeper’s “watchdog” program and the concerned citizens who contact Riverkeeper to “report a polluter,” the Riverkeeper patrol boat, and Riverkeeper’s new partnership with the DEC.