A Henrietta-based printing company plead guilty and was fined $318,000 Tuesday for illegally dumping industrial waste into its septic system, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation announced today.

The fine stems from a 2012 investigation by DEC’s Environmental Conservation Officers (ECOs) into illegal activities at Tucker Printers, Inc. in Monroe County.

DEC launched the investigation after DEC engineers uncovered an illegal discharge into the on-site septic system and several other onsite hazardous waste storage violations during a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) inspection by DEC engineers.

"DEC's Environmental Conservation Officers are the state's first line of defense in protecting the environment and safeguarding natural resources, working tirelessly to uphold the state's environmental conservation laws and protect public health and safety,” Acting DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said. “I applaud the efforts of our ECOs to investigate this case and hold these polluters accountable. This case should serve as a strong warning to others that this blatant disregard for the environment and inappropriate disposal of industrial waste will not be tolerated.”

ECO investigators from DEC’s Bureau of Environmental Crimes Investigation (BECI) unit executed a search warrant at the facility and determined that industrial wastes from various processes within Tucker’s facility were discharged into the septic system, a practice that had been going on for years.

Tucker Printers, Inc. plead guilty in the Town of Henrietta Court Tuesday night to multiple counts of unlawful disposal of industrial wastes and was fined $318,000. The company also agreed to pay restitution to DEC for the cost of sampling – $3,700 -- during the execution of the search warrant.

Additionally, Tucker conducted an extensive site investigation to determine if there was any environmental impact from the illegal discharge. Through multiple rounds of groundwater sampling, with DEC oversight, it was determined that no remedial actions by Tucker were required. Also, Tucker entered into a Consent Order to resolve RCRA violations and paid an additional penalty of $30,500. The company has since changed its practices and now collects and disposes of all its industrial wastes in accordance to the law. 

“This investigation is an excellent example of how the expertise of DEC’s engineers, attorneys and program staff combined with diligence of our ECO investigators protect the public’s health and water resources,” Seggos said.