Carleton Pulley, a 48-year-old resident of Bay Shore, has pleaded guilty to charges of Endangering Public Health, Safety, or the Environment in the Second Degree. The plea follows his illegal disposal of hazardous waste and old tires at the former Pilgrim State Psychiatric Center in April 2023.
District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney stated, "This defendant illegally disposed of hazardous waste in order to avoid the fees that he would have been required to pay had he disposed of them properly. Thankfully, the damage to the environment was mitigated due to the immediate discovery of the waste by law enforcement and the quick remediation by the Town of Islip and the property owner."
The incident occurred on April 23, 2023, when a New York State Office of Mental Health Police Officer observed Pulley rolling a tire out of a tractor trailer in an area closed to the public. Upon closer inspection, it was found that Pulley had already unloaded multiple tires and containers holding hazardous waste.
Responding units from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and Islip’s HAZMAT Unit quickly began cleanup operations. Tests confirmed that pollutants including Arsenic, Cadmium, Chromium, and Lead were present among the dumped materials. The site has since been fully remediated at a cost exceeding thirty thousand dollars.
Pulley entered his guilty plea on September 5, 2024, before Judge Steven A. Pilweski. As part of his plea agreement under District Attorney Tierney's Evergreen Initiative, Pulley must accumulate "Green Points" through community service and financial penalties aimed at environmental restoration efforts in Suffolk County.
Pulley's progress will be reviewed in court in February 2025. He is represented by attorney Peter Brill.