Seaside Heights Man Ordered to Pay $21K For Illegal Dumping in Lacey

A Seaside Heights man has pleaded guilty to charges of illegally dumping refuse in protected land in Lacey, resulting in a large fine after he pleaded guilty.

Adam Wardell, 25, of Seaside Heights, has been ordered by a court to pay more than $21,000 in penalties stemming from the case, which began in April when state Conservation Officer Sean McManus located eight garbage bags with siding shingles containing asbestos and other debris along Dover Road in the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area in Lacey.

An investigation of the contents in the garbage led McManus to Wardell, according to a statement from the state Department of Environmental Protection.

Wardell, DEP officials say, acknowledged dumping the garbage bags after being paid to remove them from a residence in Brick Township, according to Division of Fish & Wildlife Conservation Officers.

Wardell was charged with illegally dumping solid waste in a State Wildlife Management Area. On June 17, under a plea agreement at Lacey Township Municipal Court, Wardell pled guilty and was ordered to pay $21,533 in penalties.

“Our wildlife management areas provide numerous recreational opportunities for all residents of New Jersey. Our state conservation officers will aggressively prosecute any person or persons who tarnish these natural lands for the purpose of illegally disposing of waste,” said Division of Fish and Wildlife Bureau of Law Enforcement Chief Mark Chicketano, in a statement. “Abandoned hazardous waste dumped in our natural areas and state parks, in particular, is a serious crime that can impact people, wildlife and the ecology.”

The charge again Wardell came as the DEP began an effort to crack down on illegal dumping statewide this spring. The effort is continuing this summer, as officials have acknowledged that illegal dumping has become more widespread in recent years.

Penalties for illegal dumping in state parks and in fish and wildlife areas will include criminal fines of up to $5,000 per violation and civil penalties of up to $1,500 per violation.  In addition, the state also will seek much stiffer penalties for major violations through the Solid Waste Management Act, which authorizes the DEP and county health departments to initiate civil actions for illegal dumping violations.