Contractors Admit to Polluting the Susquehanna River

Bob Joseph/WNBF News [file][/caption]Contractors, who worked on repairs to the Binghamton Governmental Center parking garage and the Wilson Hospital parking garage in Johnson City, are accused of using high-volume blasts of water to demolish concrete then dumping the toxic sludge directly into the Susquehanna River in 2008 and 2009.

Federal Prosecutors said 53 year old Mark Pullyblank of Caedonia and 53 year old William Clements of Victor, who were employed by Crane-Hogan Structural Systems Incorporated, and the company pleaded guilty to violating the Federal Clean Water Act.

Officials said Crane-Hogan uses hydro-demolition which uses high pressure water in demolition and the process contains a slurry of industrial waste, including concrete residue that has a highly caustic PH and suspended solids.

Prosecutors said Pullyblank directed workers to discharge the slurry into the river and Binghamton Johnson City Joint Sewage Treatment Plant without treatment.

He faces a possible three years in prison and a $700,000 fine. Crane-Hogan could be fined $750,000 and Clements faces a possible one year in jail and a $350,000 fine.