EPA searches for evidence of illegal dumping in Pike Township
BY Malcolm Hall
The Canton Repository
PIKE TWP - Concerns that hazardous and solid waste materials are being dumped on a Riceford Road SW property brought state law-enforcement and environmental authorities here Tuesday.
The investigation is focused on a 42.5-acre site that is the home of Charles "Sonny" Alborn. Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation agents secured the property, on which several junk automobiles and 55-gallon drums were scattered.
"There have been allegations made that there has been hazardous waste illegally dumped and stored on-site, and solid waste as well," said Richard Fair, a BCI special agent who supervises the environmental enforcement unit. "We are here to assist the Ohio EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). They still are in the process of looking and seeing what they got."
SEARCH WARRANT
Stark County Common Pleas Court issued county sheriff's deputies a search warrant authorizing investigators to take samples of materials and conduct a search for scrap tires and solid or hazardous waste.
Authorities also have permission to confiscate any "business" records on the site.
"We had received allegations of violations of Ohio's solid waste and hazardous waste laws," said Michael Settles, public relations officer for the Ohio EPA. "They relate in the area of open dumping. We are investigating dumping of tires and solid waste. We are sampling drums on the property to see if they contain solid waste. Our folks are out there; they have seen evidence of that."
If the investigation reveals there has been hazardous material and solid waste illegally store on the site, "we would look at the situation and see who is responsible," Settles said.
The property is owned by Roweine Deibel, who has a Canton Township address, and others who are not named on the county auditor's real estate tax records. Deibel is one of Alborn's sisters.
NOT HAPPY
When contacted, Alborn expressed disdain for the investigators' actions.
"They are down here screwing up my life," Alborn said. "I have worked hard all my life. They probably took 400 to 500 to 600 samples of dirt today."
Another of Alborn's sisters, Edna Elliott, said her brother is legitimately maintaining the property.
"He buys and sells and has always been a business since we have been kids," Elliott said. "It is also agriculture. We have had cattle all our life. It had a license for pulverizing limestone for highways. They also pulverized coal for Timken (Co.). He sells parts of engines."
The manner in which junk vehicles are stored on the site could be regarded as a township zoning violation. But Pike Township officials are not pushing any case against Alborn at the moment.
"I think there are enough people ahead of us for him to deal with," township Trustee Lee Strad said. "We are going to let other agencies go ahead and deal with him. We as Pike Township are concerned about the equipment that is there. There are old trucks, old cars, old earthmoving equipment that is inoperable. That is a violation of Pike Township zoning."
The Canton Repository
PIKE TWP - Concerns that hazardous and solid waste materials are being dumped on a Riceford Road SW property brought state law-enforcement and environmental authorities here Tuesday.
The investigation is focused on a 42.5-acre site that is the home of Charles "Sonny" Alborn. Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation agents secured the property, on which several junk automobiles and 55-gallon drums were scattered.
"There have been allegations made that there has been hazardous waste illegally dumped and stored on-site, and solid waste as well," said Richard Fair, a BCI special agent who supervises the environmental enforcement unit. "We are here to assist the Ohio EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). They still are in the process of looking and seeing what they got."
SEARCH WARRANT
Stark County Common Pleas Court issued county sheriff's deputies a search warrant authorizing investigators to take samples of materials and conduct a search for scrap tires and solid or hazardous waste.
Authorities also have permission to confiscate any "business" records on the site.
"We had received allegations of violations of Ohio's solid waste and hazardous waste laws," said Michael Settles, public relations officer for the Ohio EPA. "They relate in the area of open dumping. We are investigating dumping of tires and solid waste. We are sampling drums on the property to see if they contain solid waste. Our folks are out there; they have seen evidence of that."
If the investigation reveals there has been hazardous material and solid waste illegally store on the site, "we would look at the situation and see who is responsible," Settles said.
The property is owned by Roweine Deibel, who has a Canton Township address, and others who are not named on the county auditor's real estate tax records. Deibel is one of Alborn's sisters.
NOT HAPPY
When contacted, Alborn expressed disdain for the investigators' actions.
"They are down here screwing up my life," Alborn said. "I have worked hard all my life. They probably took 400 to 500 to 600 samples of dirt today."
Another of Alborn's sisters, Edna Elliott, said her brother is legitimately maintaining the property.
"He buys and sells and has always been a business since we have been kids," Elliott said. "It is also agriculture. We have had cattle all our life. It had a license for pulverizing limestone for highways. They also pulverized coal for Timken (Co.). He sells parts of engines."
The manner in which junk vehicles are stored on the site could be regarded as a township zoning violation. But Pike Township officials are not pushing any case against Alborn at the moment.
"I think there are enough people ahead of us for him to deal with," township Trustee Lee Strad said. "We are going to let other agencies go ahead and deal with him. We as Pike Township are concerned about the equipment that is there. There are old trucks, old cars, old earthmoving equipment that is inoperable. That is a violation of Pike Township zoning."
