The Dentist, Thomas McFarland,59, from Wynnewood dumped the waste containing needles, gauze pads and other materials with the help of his motorboat at Townsend Inlet near Avalon on Aug 22. According to police statement, McFarland admitted he threw the debris from his boat.
Charges of discharging polluting matter and unlawful disposal of regulated medical waste are levied on him. Each charge carries a maximum term of five years in prison. If he is convicted for both, then he would be liable to pay a fine of $125,000 also.
New Jersey Attorney General Anne Milgram confirmed a complaint been sent to his lawyer. But he neither revealed the dentist’s explanation as to why he dumped the waste on beach location nor his location.
The National Geographic Adventure magazine recently listed the posh resort town as one of the nation's 10 best places to live, work and play. It is located 25 miles south of the Atlantic City.
Medical materials including needles started showing up on the same day on the northernmost beaches of Avalon. Beaches were closed for about a week after sighting the debris and as many as 200 syringes were picked up.
The incident has come up as a serious matter in the last two decades. In 1980s beachfront lined with waste was a usual sight, after which a ban was brought on the illegal dumping of waste.
New Jersey has a thriving $35 billion tourism industry supported by its 127 miles of bathing beaches on the Atlantic Ocean.
"Many people at the Jersey Shore could not enjoy one of the state's most precious natural resources, the ocean," Milgram said.
Investigators used serial numbers on the needles to trace the source of the disposed needles to McFarland's office, after which he confessed.
McFarland has been licensed as a dentist since 1977 in Pennsylvania. He has homes in Pennsylvania as well as New Jersey.
Get original file (9KB)
Post new comment