Environmental group Riverkeeper sues Catskill scrap company
Published on:
February 16, 2026
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CATSKILL―A Catskill scrap metal recycling facility is being sued by the environmental organization Riverkeeper under the Clean Water Act.
Filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Albany, the lawsuit claims that Hudson Waste Container, located at 31 Browns Crossing Road, discharges stormwater runoff into the Hans Vosen Kill, a tributary of Catskill Creek and the Hudson River, in violation of the Clean Water Act.
According to the lawsuit, Hudson Waste Container “engage[s] in industrial activities at the facility such as receiving, storing, sorting, and processing end-of-life vehicles, scrap metal, and other waste materials for reuse or transfer to recovery facilities, and vehicle and equipment maintenance and fueling.”
“As precipitation comes into contact with pollutants generated by these industrial activities, it conveys those pollutants to nearby surface waters,” the lawsuit states.
The facility is located approximately 100 feet from the Hans Vosen Kill, the lawsuit notes.
“Stormwater runoff is one of the most significant sources of water pollution in the nation—comparable to, if not greater than, contamination from factory and sewage wastewater,” the lawsuit states.
Riverkeeper contends that Hudson Waste Container is discharging stormwater into the Hans Vosen Kill without a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit and has “failed to obtain coverage under and comply with the conditions of an individual State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) permit or the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation SPDES Multi-Sector General Permit for Stormwater Discharges Associated with Industrial Activity.”
The lawsuit claims, “on information and belief,” that pollutants generated by these industrial activities include, but are not limited to, diesel fuel, gasoline, anti-freeze, oil, lubricants, PCBs, PAHs, pH affecting substances and chemical residues; an array of metals; as well as non-metal pollutants of concern and numerous other waste materials.
Hudson Waste Container could not immediately be reached for comment on Monday. Also named as a defendant is Hudson Waste Container CEO Michael C. Ferro.
“Riverkeeper alleges that the facility discharged stormwater from its unpermitted outfalls at the facility on 417 days since December 4, 2020,” court documents states.
Riverkeeper claims that on December 4, 2025, it served notice of the alleged violations and its intent to sue to Hudson Waste Container, as well as to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).
“Neither the EPA nor the State of New York has commenced or is diligently prosecuting a civil or criminal action to redress the violations alleged in this complaint,” Riverkeeper states.
Represented by Super Law Group, LLC of New York City, Riverkeeper is asking the federal court to intervene and require Hudson Waste Container to comply with the Clean Water Act, apply for applicable permits, and pay penalties and litigation costs.
The Clean Water Act establishes the basic structure for regulating discharges of pollutants into the waters of the United States and regulating quality standards for surface waters. The basis of the law was enacted in 1948 and was called the Federal Water Pollution Control Act. It was significantly reorganized and expanded in 1972.
