Gulfstream Park, Florida’s renowned racing venue, has refuted allegations regarding the polluting of a canal adjacent to the Intracoastal Waterway with horse manure. These allegations were brought to light by the park’s former chief legal advisor, Michael Fucheck, in a recently unsealed federal lawsuit.
Fucheck served as the Gulfstream track’s principal counsel for nearly a decade. His lawsuit includes pictorial evidence allegedly depicting the track covertly draining fecal-contaminated water into the canal using portable pumps.
The legal complaint graphically describes the accumulation of horse manure in stalls, pathways, and on the track, explaining that the waste matter is periodically washed down by training staff and groundskeepers. As a result, the pathway and underground stormwater drainage system of Gulfstream become inundated with heavily contaminated water.
It’s crucial to note, as made clear in the lawsuit, that horse feces carry various potential health risks. Infected horses may harbor salmonella which can be transmitted to humans through contaminated water. Additionally, equine manure can contain harmful fecal coliform and phosphorus.
These risks are the driving factors behind the strict controls over wastewater disposal enforced by county, state, and federal environmental laws. The lawsuit further emphasizes the wider impact of such alleged pollution, pointing out that the Intracoastal Waterway is frequented for both leisurely and business activities by a potentially massive population.
The former general counsel accuses Gulfstream Park of releasing contaminated water for an estimated span of 14 months, from March 2021 to April 2022, in violation of terms with both county and federal environmental watchdogs.
Owned by the Stronach Group, Gulfstream Park is a vital spot on the equestrian calendar, hosting distinguished events such as the Pegasus World Cup and the Florida Derby. Beyond the races, the venue operates a casino, one of the few sites offering ‘Las Vegas-style’ slot gaming outside of the Seminole reservations.
In response to the accusations, the Stronach Group issued a statement labeling the lawsuit as ‘frivolous’ and deriving from allegations leveled by a disgruntled ex-employee, who was removing from his post in 2019. The company These firm reasserts their compliance with all relevant rules and vows to robustly fight this lawsuit.
Gulfstream Park, however, does have a previous record of disrupting the canal ecosystem. In 2017, it settled with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), paying $456K and committing to cease the discharge of polluted water.
Invoking the False Claims Act, Fucheck’s suit blasts off, a provision that allows whistleblowers to bring legal actions against those suspected of perpetrating fraud against government programs. Despite the fact that the US government declined to join this particular lawsuit, Fucheck’s counsel, Steven Grover, maintains that it doesn’t reflect the lawsuit’s validity.
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