Railroad Company Sued Over Open-Air Waste Stations

Environmental advocacy groups are suing New York Susquehanna & Western Railway Corp., accusing the company of violating a federal law that prevents solid waste facilities from dumping waste into open-air stations without an enclosed building and ways to prevent waste discharge. While railroad officials claim that there is no waste disposal at the sites, environmental groups say that the company dumps waste on exposed ground and asphalt pads and creates various environmental and health hazards, according to a report published by the North Jersey Media Group.

The environmental groups filed the lawsuit after the railroad did not abide by a 90-day notice to clean up the site. According to the report, the railroad company was fined $2.5 million from the state Department of Environmental Protection in July for environmental violations at the waste stations.