In light of the recent sentencing of Ronald Wayne Gunn for illegal dumping of an extreme nature, the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio would like to remind us all of one of their most important programs, th Nail-A-Dumper program. 

Click below to read the full article and get more information on the program.

Columbus Man Must Pay $120,000 for Burying Truck, Trash, Tires

Ronald Wayne Gunn has been sentenced in connection with the burying of a
trash truck and many tons of trash, tires and recyclables at his former
northeast Columbus auto salvage yard, Ron's Auto Repairs and Salvage
Parts (1888 East 17th Avenue, Columbus). 



On September 1, 2009, Gunn pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor water
pollution charge and seven felonies (five charges of operating a solid
waste landfill without a license and two charges of open dumping). Gunn
had been accused of burying a trash truck, more than 76 tons of trash
and recyclables and 2,000 mostly industrial-size tires (equivalent to
15,000 passenger tires).



Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Beverly Pfeiffer sentenced Gunn to
six months home incarceration, $120,000 in restitution ($60,000 to
Franklin County General Health Fund and $60,000 to Ohio EPA), 40 hours
community service (removing trash from Franklin County roadways) and
three years probation with four additional years of prison time
suspended. Gunn must also find and keep employment, submit to random
drug screens and abstain from committing crimes and/or environmental
offenses.



The illegal dumping was discovered through a tip made to SWACO's
www.nailadumper.com Web site.  On November 5 and 6, 2008, investigators
from SWACO's Nail-A-Dumper program (including the Franklin County
Sheriff's Office) and Ohio EPA's Office of Special Investigations
executed a search warrant at the site and discovered the remnants of one
trash truck that had been buried five feet underground with a load of
garbage. The scrap tires were buried in multiple other holes throughout
the premises along with miscellaneous trash. 



Crews dug for two days at the site to recover the evidence. The city of
Columbus removed 16.4 tons of trash. Ohio EPA conducted the excavation
of the truck and tires and coordinated a contractor to clean up and
properly dispose of 31.05 tons of mixed solid waste, 29.48 tons of
recyclable waste (metal wheel rims) and 180.54 tons of tires.



Ohio EPA distributed more than $48,000 from Ohio's Scrap Tire Management
Fund to remove, shred and dispose of the auto, tractor and truck tires
found at the site. Each year, approximately 12 million scrap tires are
generated in Ohio. More than 43 million tires at 93 sites have been
removed from stockpiles or illegal dumps across the state since Ohio's
Scrap Tire Abatement Program began in 1996. It is estimated five million
scrap tires still remain illegally dumped throughout Ohio. 
 

The accumulation of scrap tires constitutes a danger to the environment
and the public's health and safety. Scrap tire piles, if not properly
managed, may harbor rats and become a prime breeding ground for
disease-carrying mosquitoes. Tire dumps also can spawn dangerous fires
that produce noxious smoke and oils. Citizens are encouraged to call
their local health department or Ohio EPA toll free at 1-877-372-2621 to
report scrap tire dumps. More information is at:
www.epa.ohio.gov/dsiwm/pages/tirepro.aspx
<http://www.epa.ohio.gov/dsiwm/pages/tirepro.aspx> .



The Nail-A-Dumper program is funded by SWACO.  The team includes
deputies from the Franklin County Sheriff's Office, a prosecutor from
the Franklin County Prosecutor's Office, representatives from the
Franklin County Health Department and an employee of the Columbus Refuse
Division. Residents may call the Nail-A-Dumper hotline at 614-871-5322,
24 hours a day to report illegal dumping or littering or they may log on
to www.nailadumper.com to make their report.