Clean-Up Ordered For Property on newstalkradiowhio.com

Clean-Up Ordered For Property

04/29/2008 06:12:56

NORTH LEWISBURG, Ohio -- Wayne Twp. and Champaign County health officials have ordered the cleanup of a 500-acre property littered with trash, solid waste and more than 100 pieces of old farm equipment.

The property, at 6568 State Route 245, is a "an environmental and health hazard," said Russ Wellman, environmental technician at the Champaign County Health Department said Monday, April 28.

"We've been dealing with this for years," he said. "We've tried to give (the owner) time to get it cleaned up."

The owner, Marcus Miller, 67, was not on the property during Monday's cleanup and could not be reached for comment.

The home on the property is full of trash and uninhabitable, said Wellman.

He did not know whether Miller has another residence or where he's been staying.

Township and county officials chose to take action after Miller failed to comply with orders to clean the site, said Wellman.

More than 200 tires, 16 cars, trucks and campers, dozens of vehicle batteries and garbage have to be removed, he said.

"This is the worst I've ever seen," said Dustin Owens, president of OMAC Hauling, Inc., the company that was hired to do the cleanup.

Rusted-out farm equipment and tools were scattered across the landscape and could be seen several hundred feet from the road.

Bones of dead cattle were strewn in and around a small pond at the back of the property.

Miller owns from 100 to 150 cattle that freely roam the property, said Owens.

Miller has been feeding the animals daily, said Wellman.

Owens estimated the project would take nearly a month to complete and cost $40,000.

At least 200 tons of metal is expected to be removed and scrapped to offset the cost of the cleanup.

The remainder of the cost will be assessed to Miller's taxes, said Wellman.

(Article courtesy of www.springfieldnewssun.com)