Ray's Auto Parts Penalized $10,000 for Wetlands Violations

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) has penalized Ray's Auto Parts of Sheffield $10,000 for the filling of wetlands at the company's automotive recycling yard, located at 466 Clayton Rd. in Sheffield.

MassDEP discovered the violation through its innovative aerial surveillance initiative, an ongoing program that uses aerial reconnaissance and computer technology to identify wetlands that have been illegally filled or altered.

By comparing 1999 aerial photographs to those taken in 2001 and 2005, MassDEP discovered the filling in of wetlands on the property. The extent of the wetlands fill was also field-verified during the investigation. As part of a settlement agreement, Ray's Auto Parts will restore the impacted wetlands area and pay $3,000 of the penalty. The remaining $7,000 of the penalty will be suspended pending compliance with the agreement.

"MassDEP's use of aerial photography is a very efficient method by which to identify wetlands violations, particularly violations which are not easily visible from a public way," said Michael Gorski, director of MassDEP's Western Regional Office in Springfield. "We can now expose violations in remote areas, which may not have previously been reported or discovered and order restoration of those important resource areas."

This enforcement case was a result of MassDEP's high tech wetlands enforcement program that uses before-and-after aerial photographs, which are analyzed by a computer program to show where wetlands have been altered. More information regarding this initiative can be obtained from MassDEP's web site at: http://www.mass.gov/dep/service/compliance/wlossmap.htm

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