A former Fairfield official has been sentenced to multiple years in prison in connection with the illegal dumping of hazardous materials next to the town's public works garage, according to the Division of Criminal Justice.
Scott Bartlett, 61, is one of five former or current Fairfield officials that allegedly hid the extent of contamination to town property. He was found guilty in May.
Bartlett was sentenced to four years in prison, suspended after 18 months served, and three years of probation, according to authorities. He was also ordered to pay restitution for costs the town incurred for the remediation of contaminated sites.
State authorities said Bartlett was charged with eight felonies in connection to the incident including three counts of transporting solid waste to an unpermitted facility, three counts of receiving solid waste, disposing of solid waste without a permit, and operating a solid waste facility without a permit.
Get Connecticut local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Connecticut newsletters.
The charges are related to a nearly three-acre site containing PCBs, lead and other hazardous materials, Fairfield police said. Town officials estimate cleanup of the site to cost $5 million to $10 million.
Robert Mayer, former chief of staff to former First Selectman Michael Tetreau, was charged earlier this year with hiding evidence in the case.
Investigators said the town hired a company in 2016 to clean up the site and construct a berm around it to prevent adjacent properties from becoming contaminated. Instead, police said, the company and town officials conspired to bury contaminated materials into the berm.
Local
Fairfield police began an investigation of the dumping in 2017 and arrested several town officials in July 2019.
Bartlett and five others are awaiting trial on additional environmental and corruption charges.
