A Queens man has been convicted for discharging untreated sewage into Jamaica Bay.
John Schmitt, 56, owned and operated Schmitt’s Marina on the shores of Jamaica Bay in Broad Channel, Queens. Schmitt resided in the same building. The pipes from a sink and the toilets in the building flushed directly into Jamaica Bay, in violation of New York’s Environmental Conservation Law.
Schmitt also owned and operated a telephone answering service at a second building nearby, where the toilet was connected to a pipe that discharged onto the ground and into the groundwater. The pipe had been concealed beneath pieces of old wood and raw sewage had been sitting on the ground beneath it, according to the Attorney General’s office.
The two buildings are located a short distance from a designated tidal wetlands area, and Schmitt was also convicted for digging a trench on the tidal wetlands and attempting to drain it without a permit. These areas are environmentally sensitive and provide habitat for a variety of birds, fish, and other wildlife, in addition to providing protection from storm surges and flooding.
Finally, when law enforcement personnel executed a search warrant at Schmitt’s building seeking evidence of his environmental crimes, they found him to be in possession of an unlicensed firearm.
Schmitt was convicted of two class E felonies, a misdemeanor, and two violations for his environmental crimes. He was also convicted of a misdemeanor for the criminal possession of a weapon. He faces up to four years in jail and up to $200,000 in fines. Sentencing will occur on Oct. 28. 9-24-08
