A new law setting reporting requirements and restrictions on the type of fill used for projects is headed to the Woodstock Planning Board for its input. The legislation is intended to prevent situations similar to 10 Church Road in the hamlet of Shady, where the property owner ordered contaminated fill from legally embattled Saugerties contractor Joseph Karolys. The fill contains construction debris, which is against town solid waste law. The homeowner also failed to follow a retention plan and the fill collapsed into a downhill neighbor’s property. Tests of the neighbor’s well found no significant levels of contaminants, but 10 Church Road owner Vincent Conigliaro was ordered to have the fill removed so contaminants do not enter the water table.
The town is in the process of pressing charges against Conigliaro and Karolys as leverage to ensure the fill is removed and disposed of in a landfill certified to handle contaminated fill.
Supervisor Bill McKenna said the law is written in a way that doesn’t affect local contractors doing smaller jobs.
“What it’s going to affect is big earth moving projects. It’s going to create a situation where the homeowner is going to need a set of plans,” McKenna said.
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