NARROWSBURG, NY — Narrowsburg businessman and Tusten Town Board member Ned Lang filed a lawsuit in July against Tusten Supervisor Carol Wingert and town board member Brandi Merolla. The lawsuit also names Lang’s neighbor Arthur Freer.

The lawsuit alleges that in August 2014, Freer complained to the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) about a possible sewage discharge on Lang’s land, and in September of 2015 Freer again complained about alleged “truckloads of rotten eggs” being applied to Lang’s property. According to the lawsuit, a DEC officer both times found no violation.  

Then according to the lawsuit, in August 2016, Wingert and Merolla complained to the DEC about “alleged sewage dumping” on Lang’s property, and Merolla said there was also “dumping of raw sewage by plaintiff on plaintiff’s residential property in Narrowsburg.”

That prompted the DEC to issue a notice of violation on November 25, 2016, because on October 13, 2016 “DEC observed eggshell waste land-applied to plaintiff’s property.” Lang responded to that saying what was observed was not eggshell waste but rather “eggshell soil amendments which were a fertilizer which has been utilized on agricultural lands for decades.”

The lawsuit says Wingert and Merolla knew the allegations were false when they made the complaints, and Lang charges they wrongly used their positions to prompt the DEC to conduct the investigation.

The lawsuit alleges “the false statements were defamatory and were intended to defame plaintiff.”

Lang owns the companies Enviroventures and Lang Industries. The lawsuit says, “Both defendants Wingert and Merolla well knew that plaintiff’s businesses were heavily regulated by DEC” and the statements were intended “to place plaintiff in a bad light with DEC officials.

Merolla said in a statement, “This suit has no merit, and it will be vigorously defended, and we will let the courts decide.”

Lang said in a phone interview that the case “will probably go to a jury trial. I’m going to hold them accountable for trying to ruin my relationship with the DEC. I have a multi-million dollar solid-waste facility that depends on my relationship with the Department of Environmental Conservation, and they’ve managed to sabotage that relationship.”

The lawsuit seeks $5 million from Wingert and Merolla and $5 million from Freer.

Lang is currently running for another term as a member of the town council. Wingert is running for another term as town supervisor.

Lawsuit against Tusten settled

Another lawsuit filed by Lang, regarding the size of political signs and issues of free speech, has been settled.

Merolla said, “The town does not admit any fault or culpability in this matter, and the settlements and the terms of the settlements will remain confidential.”