TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2001
Ohio attorney general suing SanLan Landfill owners
By Ryan Good
Staff Writer
The Ohio attorney general's office is suing the parent company of SanLan Landfill, 12500 W. CR 18, claiming a wide range of allegations.
The suit, filed Friday in Seneca County Common Pleas Court, names Hocking Environmental Co. of Logan, in partnership with Kilbarger Construction Inc. and Daniel J. Stohs, as defendants in the case alleging seven counts of mismanagement of the facility's grounds and of facility funds. Judge Steve C. Shuff will preside over the case.
The first count in the suit claims that between Jan. 31, 1998 and last Jan. 17, the company failed to pay five months' worth of solid waste disposal fees and the accompanying late charges on those fees.
Ohio attorney general's office spokeswoman Stephanie Beougher said Monday that the original fees for December 1997 to April 1998 have been paid. The late fees, totaling $126,400, have not been paid.
Counts two and three of the suit allege that between April 12, 1999 and July 5, 2000, the company failed to apply daily cover to all exposed solid waste at the end of the work day and failed to cover areas where more solid waste was not to be deposited for at least 30 days.
"They weren't putting covers on," Beougher said.
The fourth count in the lawsuit states that since Aug. 15, one area of the landfill -- called Phase One -- had reached its capacity and was never capped.
"Once you fill up an area, you have to cap it off," Beougher said.
Counts five and six allege that in various periods of time between April 12 1999 and Aug. 15, 2000, the company failed to collect and dispose of scattered litter and failed to correct conditions leading to ponding or erosion were solid waste was deposited.
The final count claims that since Feb. 16, 2000 , Hocking Environmental Co. has failed to submit an acceptable ground water quality assessment plan for the site.
In addition to the late fees, the state is asking that the company pay $33,600 in civil penalties for violating the laws, Beougher said.
The attorney general's office is asking that the company immediately pay half of the late fees owed as well as fix the violations at the Loudon Township site,
"We want them to cap Phase One and submit to the EPA's ground water plan," Beougher added.
No one could be reached for comment at Hocking Environmental's Logan office on Monday.