The city of Mount Vernon has announced steps toward cleaning up after being charged with violating state environmental laws for allegedly storing waste without proper permits and creating an environment for illegal dumping at a DPW yard.

Mayor Richard Thomas says he believes the Department of Public Works yard in question can be transformed into premium waterfront property.

"We are really creating a whole new green space and looking forward to having a whole new set of activities here in our city," he says. "We want to have restaurants. We want to have shops. I know I want a beach."

To do that, he says the city will clean up the 20-acre yard and consolidate the "junk" there onto just a 2-acre space. That's to meet a state Department of Environmental Conservation order to move the operation further from the waterway and pay a $55,000 fine.

The city is also now banned from accepting non-recyclable waste at the yard.

The overhaul is expected to take several years.