DA’s investigation into illegal dumping has widened to Veterans Way in Islandia

Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota's investigation into alleged illegal dumping has widened, and there is now a growing concern about what is in the soil under a veteran's housing development

News 12 Staff

May 15, 2014, 3:34 PM

Updated 3,853 days ago

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Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota's investigation into alleged illegal dumping has widened, and there is now a growing concern about what is in the soil under a veteran's housing development in Islandia.
Investigators have already confirmed asbestos in the soil at Roberto Clemente Park in Brentwood and at a private lot in neighboring Central Islip.
Investigators are looking into the possibility of contaminated soil that may have been used to fill in parts of a cul-de-sac at Veterans Way, the nation's first community dedicated solely to returning veterans.
Mitch Pally, from the Long Island Builders Institute, whose charitable program sponsored the project, says the trucking company that supplied the outside fill is connected to the Datre family.
As News 12 has previously reported, some of the businesses owned by the Datre family are also part of the Suffolk DA's investigation into alleged illegal dumping in the Town of Islip.
Pally told News 12 that they were assured by the company that there was no problems with the fill and that "everything was clean."
News 12 has confirmed that private testing, paid for by the Builders Institute, will begin today. DA Spota says his office will also be doing testing at the Islandia homes as a precaution, but he wouldn't give a time frame.
The attorney for Tom Datre Jr., who owns the trucking company contracted to bring soil to Roberto Clemente Park and the veterans' housing project, said that his clients delivered only legal and permissible fill to the park.
He also added that Datre was unaware of any problems at the veterans housing location.
A toll-free hotline has been established that will give callers up-to-date information on any developments concerning the investigation into the alleged illegal activities at Roberto Clemente Park.