Four arrested in Fairfield illegal dumping scheme, including 3 town employees

Four people have been arrested in the latest chapter of an illegal dumping controversy in Fairfield.

Department of Public Works Interim Director Brian Carey, former Human Resources Director Emmet Hibson, former Public Works Superintendent Scott Bartlett, and town-hired contractor Robert Grabarek, owner of the Clinton contracting firm Osprey Environmental Engineering, have been arrested. Bartlett and Grabarek were arrested previously on different charges related to the case.

The four are charged with illegally disposing PCBs and solid waste and conspiracy in connection with a fill pile that was found to be contaminated. They are due to be arraigned in state Superior Court on Dec. 4.

The investigation began in 2017, when Fairfield filed a breach-of-contract lawsuit against construction material processing facility Julian Development. That firm had dumped and allowed dumping of contaminated materials at the Public Works site.

According to the town, the cost to remediate the site is between $5 million and $10 million.

Former First Selectman Mike Tetreau has been criticized for his handling of the situation, though he has not been formally charged in the case. Tetreau lost his bid for reelection last year to Brenda Kupchick.

“As I shared with residents when I was sworn in to lead the town of Fairfield, I will continue to do everything within my power to regain the public”™s faith and trust in our town government, which was damaged in the wake of the fill-pile contamination and public corruption,” Kupchick said in a statement.