0 Members and 2 Guests are viewing this topic.
GEOFFREY S. BERMANUnited States Attorney for theSouthern District of New YorkBy: TOMOKO ONOZAWAAssistant United States Attorney86 Chambers Street, 3rd FloorNew York, New York 10007Telephone: (212) 637-2721Facsimile: (212) 637-2686E-mail: tomoko.onozawa@usdoj.govUNITED STATES DISTRICT COURTSOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK----------------------------------------------------------------- xUNITED STATES OF AMERICA,Plaintiff, -againstMARK FORD, MARK FORD STABLES, INC.,MARK FORD STAGE ROAD PROPERTY, INC.,and FORD EQUINE, LTD.,Defendants.:::::::::::COMPLAINT19 Civ. 9600----------------------------------------------------------------- x1. The United States of America, by its attorney, Geoffrey S. Berman, United StatesAttorney for the Southern District of New York, acting on behalf of the Administrator of theUnited States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”), alleges for its complaint as follows:NATURE OF THE ACTION2. Defendants Mark Ford (“Ford”) and Mark Ford Stables, Inc., Mark Ford StageRoad Property, Inc., and Ford Equine Ltd. (collectively, the “Ford Companies”) bulldozed overtwo dozen acres of wetlands and rerouted streams while on notice that doing so was prohibitedby the Clean Water Act (the “CWA”), 33 U.S.C. §§ 1251 et seq. Ford and the Ford Companiesdid this to build a dedicated horse racing training center with associated pastures on twoproperties in Orange County, New York. As Ford has put it, “you like to have the [horse] trackCase 7:19-cv-09600-AEK Document 3 Filed 10/18/19 Page 1 of 24 Case 7:19-cv-09600 Document 1 Filed 10/17/19 Page 1 of 242the way you want it, you want a barn the way you want it and you want some pavement to driveon.” To make things “the way [they] want[ed] it,” Ford and the Ford Companies illegally filledwaters of the United States. They also violated a CWA stormwater construction general permit.3. Ford and the Ford Companies have repeatedly violated section 301(a) of theCWA, 33 U.S.C. §§ 1311(a), by running a concentrated animal feeding operation without apermit, allowing wastewater to contaminate waters of the United States. These violations—which include piping manure-laden wastewater directly from wash bays/stalls and a horseswimming pool to a nearby stream—continue to the present day.4. The United States brings this civil action under Sections 309(b) and (d) of theCWA, 33 U.S.C. §§ 1319(b), (d), to obtain injunctive relief compelling Ford and the FordCompanies to remove the unauthorized fill material from waters of the United States, to restorethe watercourses, and to cease their unpermitted discharges, and for civil penalties.JURISDICTION AND VENUE5. This Court has jurisdiction over this matter pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 1331, 1345,and 1355, and Section 309(b) and (d) of the CWA, 33 U.S.C. § 1319(b) and (d).6. Venue is proper in this District pursuant to Section 309(b) and (d) of the CWA,33 U.S.C. §§ 1319(b) and (d) and 1395, because the events giving rise to the claims herein arosein this District.7. The United States has provided notice of the commencement of this action to theState of New York pursuant to Section 309(b) of the CWA, 33 U.S.C. § 1319(b).Case 7:19-cv-09600-AEK Document 3 Filed 10/18/19 Page 2 of 24 Case 7:19-cv-09600 Document 1 Filed 10/17/19 Page 2 of 243PARTIES8. Plaintiff is the United States of America on behalf of EPA.9. Defendant Mark Ford (“Ford”) is an individual who owns property and regularlyconducts business in Orange County, New York. Ford is the president and sole shareholder of,and controls, the Ford Companies.10. Defendant Mark Ford Stables, Inc., is a corporation organized under the laws ofthe State of New York, with its principal executive offices located at 410 Jericho Turnpike,Jericho, New York 11753.11. Defendant Ford Equine, Ltd., is a corporation organized under the laws of theState of New York, with its principal executive offices located at 125 Stony Ford Road,Campbell Hall, New York 10916.12. Defendant Mark Ford Stage Road Property, Inc., is a corporation organized underthe laws of the State of New York, with its principal executive offices located at 125 Stony FordRoad, Campbell Hall, New York 10916.13. Defendants Ford, Mark Ford Stables, Inc., Ford Equine, Ltd., and Mark FordStage Road Property, Inc., are each “persons” within the meaning of Section 502(5) of the CWA,33 U.S.C. § 1362(5).STATUTORY AND REGULATORY BACKGROUNDI. The Wetlands Permitting Program Under CWA Section 40414. The CWA was enacted “to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, andbiological integrity of the Nation’s waters.” 33 U.S.C. 1251(a).15. Section 301(a) of the CWA, 33 U.S.C. § 1311(a), furthers this goal by prohibitingthe “discharge of any pollutant by any person” to waters of the United States, “[e]xcept inCase 7:19-cv-09600-AEK Document 3 Filed 10/18/19 Page 3 of 24 Case 7:19-cv-09600 Document 1 Filed 10/17/19 Page 3 of 244compliance with,” among other things, permits issued under Sections 402 and 404 of the CWA.33 U.S.C. §§ 1342, 1344. The “discharge of a pollutant” includes “any addition of any pollutantto navigable waters from any point source.” 33 U.S.C. § 1362(12).16. Navigable waters are “the waters of the United States, including the territorialseas.” 33 U.S.C. § 1362(7). In turn, “waters of the United States” has been defined to include,inter alia, all waters which are currently used, were used in the past, or may be susceptible to usein interstate or foreign commerce; tributaries to such waters; and wetlands adjacent to theforegoing waters. See, e.g., 33 C.F.R. § 328.3(a) (1993); 40 C.F.R. §§ 122.2 (1993).17. A “point source” is defined as “any discernible, confined and discreteconveyance, including but not limited to any pipe, ditch, channel, tunnel, conduit, well, discretefissure, container . . . [or] concentrated animal feeding operation . . . from which pollutants maybe discharged.” 33 U.S.C. § 1362(14).18. As defined by Section 502(6) of the CWA, a “pollutant” includes, among otherthings, dredged spoil, solid waste, sewage, biological materials, rock, sand, cellar dirt, andindustrial, municipal, and agricultural waste discharged into water. 33 U.S.C. § 1362(6).19. Wetlands are “those areas that are inundated or saturated by surface or groundwater at a frequency and duration sufficient to support, and that under normal circumstances dosupport, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions.”33 C.F.R. § 328.3(b) (1993).20. Under the Clean Water Act, no person may discharge fill into wetlands that arewaters of the United States (also known as “jurisdictional wetlands”) without a permit—typicallyissued by the United States Army Corps of Engineers (the “Corps of Engineers” or “Corps”)—under Section 404(a) of the CWA, 33 U.S.C. § 1344(a). The Section 404 permitting program,Case 7:19-cv-09600-AEK Document 3 Filed 10/18/19 Page 4 of 24 Case 7:19-cv-09600 Document 1 Filed 10/17/19 Page 4 of 245consistent with the purposes of the CWA, is intended to authorize the discharge of dredged or fillmaterial into wetlands only when, among other things, “it can be demonstrated that such adischarge will not have an unacceptable adverse impact either individually or in combinationwith known and/or probable impacts . . . .” 40 C.F.R. § 230.1.II. The NPDES Permitting Program Under CWA Section 40221. Similarly, the Clean Water Act prohibits any person from discharging pollutantsother than fill or dredged material to waters of the United States without a permit under Section402 of the CWA, 33 U.S.C. § 1342(a). Section 402 authorizes EPA, under certaincircumstances, to issue a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (“NPDES”) permitauthorizing a person to discharge pollutants into waters of the United States. The CWA alsoauthorizes states to establish their own permitting programs. 33 U.S.C. § 1342(b). After astate’s permitting program is approved by EPA, and subject to certain limitations, states mayissue their own NPDES permits pursuant to such a program.22. New York State, through its Department of Environmental Conservation(“NYSDEC”), administers such an approved permitting program, referred to as the StatePollutant Discharge Elimination System (“SPDES”) permit program. Under Sections 309 and402(i) of the CWA, the United States retains concurrent authority to enforce SPDES permitviolations. 33 U.S.C. §§ 1319, 1342(i).A. Construction General Permits23. Construction activity is one type of industrial activity for which associatedstormwater discharges require a permit under Section 402 of the CWA. Construction activityincludes “clearing, grading and excavation.” 40 C.F.R. § 122.26(b)(14)(x).Case 7:19-cv-09600-AEK Document 3 Filed 10/18/19 Page 5 of 24 Case 7:19-cv-09600 Document 1 Filed 10/17/19 Page 5 of 24624. The CWA regulates stormwater discharges from construction activities becausewhen there is precipitation, stormwater or snowmelt can wash over or flow through loose soil ona construction site and pick up pollutants that are then discharged to rivers, streams, lakes, orcoastal waters.
Nobody believes you’re bullshit! By the way I was just messaged about your Chrystal Meth addiction! That explains everything! True or false have you ever been arrested for meth?
Mike always brings the receipts. He and Paulick rock.
image upload site
It wasn't his family that hurt him that I could tell you........... but he has hurt his family........... A family member told me some woman Pam hurt him deeply... If that's the case he's taking his anger out on the horse people that never did anything to him... He's also not allowed on any race tracks who knows what happened there........ If only he would quit all this nonsense and get back with his family at least make an attempt.......... .
Whoever hurt him really messed up his brain. Gotta feel sorry for him......