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Armed enforcement officials from the state’s environmental agency, responding to complaints of noxious fumes and airborne debris from neighborhood residents, uncovered an apparently illegal waste disposal operation at a rundown boatyard on the College Point waterfront this week.

Discovery of the waste operation sparked concern among local watchdogs and state regulators that pollutants from a massive quantity of polyethylene foam found on the site might endanger human health and contaminate a nearby tidal wetlands area, which is protected by state and federal environmental laws. The foam, which has a deep yellow color and gives off toxic fumes when burned, is commonly used as a floatation material in barges.

The contractor responsible for the waste disposal operation at the boatyard has been hired to destroy several condemned barges floating in the waters just off the coast; the piles of yellow foam material evident on the property come from these barges.

According to Maureen Wren, a spokesperson for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), armed enforcement agents investigated the dilapidated dock facility at 20-08 119th St. in College Point, located at the far western end of 20th Avenue, on the morning of Aug. 6.

The agents issued two violations at the scene to Vladimir Stoicescu, owner of VIP Marine Services and Contractors, for allegedly failing to contain solid waste and allowing solid waste material to fall into state waters, Wren said.

Despite reports of fumes from neighborhood residents, DEC agents turned up no immediate evidence of burning, Wren added, though an investigation into the site is ongoing.

Ken Atkinson, a neighbor who lives directly across the street from the boatyard, has watched what he considers suspicious activity at the site for over a month, including frequent episodes in which the foam material has been burned.

“They made like a makeshift chimney and they were burning all this debris and stuff,” Atkinson said. “The smoke was a combination of green and black, and it gave off an acrid smell.”

A cursory examination of the boatyard’s perimeter, which is fenced-off behind “Keep Out” signs, revealed small pieces of yellow foam debris littering the street and the yards of nearby homes. The enormous quantity of foam is plainly visible from the street, towering high above the perimeter fencing.

James Cervino, a marine biologist and College Point resident, warned that burning polyethylene foam can be “disastrous” to both the public health and the local ecosystem. “When burned it is converted to a toxic gas and if inhaled can induce respiratory arrest,” he said.

According to Cervino, who heads the Marine Pollution Action Network, toxins released by burning polyethylene foam include carbon monoxide, benzene, hydrogen cyanide and acetone. Residents whose skin or eyes come into contact with the fumes should seek medical attention, he said.

The owner of VIP Marine Services, who identified himself over the phone only as Michael, denied all allegations of wrongdoing and threatened to sue the Tribune for reporting on the environmental violations issued at the boatyard. “We are in the process of cleaning up the marina,” he said. “All the boats are abandoned in there and there is a lot of junk that needs to be cleaned up.”

Though Michael acknowledged that the yellow foam comes from the condemned barges, he denied disposing of any waste material in the coastal waters or engaging in any burning. “We shipped out over 20 containers of junk and garbage from the site as we speak,” he told the Tribune. “Usually, it goes to a waste agency.”

“Anything negative in your newspaper,” Michael added, “and you are going to hear from my lawyers.”