Guilty plea in Falls dumping case

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — A Lockport man pleaded guilty to lying about hazardous waste dumped in Niagara Falls, the United States District Attorney’s Office said Friday.

Following a tip from a community member, in Dec. 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency executed a search warrant in the 3000 block of Highland Avenue in Niagara Falls as part of an investigation into the improper storage and disposal of hand sanitizer.

During the search, the EPA found evidence that expired hand sanitizer had been dumped on the property outside, in a pile measuring 73 feet long, 24 feet wide, and 5 feet high. Following sampling, the hand sanitizer was determined to be hazardous waste.

Michael J. Hale, 65, who was employed by a business operating on the property, was contacted during the investigation, and said he didn’t know that the hand sanitizer had been dumped outside. However, according to the District Attorney’s Office, Hale was aware that the sanitizer had been dumped on the property and when it was originally brought there.