PIONEER, Ohio – What started as a probe into a potentially toxic burial plot has instead unearthed a fresh batch of hazardous waste violations for a small-town Ohio recycling outfit. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) descended on C & R Recyclers in Pioneer, a blink-and-you'll-miss-it spot in Williams County, on May 7, 2025, following a tip-off that the company had allegedly received a truck trailer brimming with old pesticides and mystery chemicals. The whistleblower claimed these substances were being mixed with concrete powder and then buried – a scenario that could spell serious trouble for the local environment.
According to a newly released Notice of Violation (NOV) from the Ohio EPA, the agency’s investigators, accompanied by a C & R employee identified only as “Doug,” did indeed conduct a “Focused Compliance Inspection.” The goal: to get to the bottom of complaint #250429125724_WEC and see if C & R Recyclers was playing by Ohio’s hazardous waste rules, laid out in Chapter 3734 of the Ohio Revised Code and Chapter 3745 of the Ohio Administrative Code.
But here’s the twist: the Ohio EPA stated that they “did not determine any violations related to the complaint” about the alleged pesticide burial. So, no smoking gun (or buried barrel) on that front, at least according to this initial investigation.
However, the visit wasn't a clean bill of health for C & R. While digging into the initial allegations, the Ohio EPA inspectors stumbled upon a series of their own concerns. The NOV details five specific instances where C & R Recyclers allegedly failed to properly determine if certain wastes on their property were hazardous. This is a fundamental requirement under Ohio’s rules, mandating that anyone generating waste must figure out if it's hazardous through testing or by applying their knowledge of the waste's characteristics.
The alleged violations paint a picture of potentially mishandled and unidentified materials lurking on the C & R site:
- Mystery Drum Brigade: Three separate 55-gallon drums in the southeast corner of the property were found unlabeled, with C & R staff reportedly unable to identify their contents. One of these drums was even described as “rusting and bulging,” raising immediate red flags about what could be festering inside.
- Brush Pile Barrel: Another 55-gallon drum, this one gray and also unlabeled, was discovered lying sideways in a tangle of brush. Again, its contents remained a mystery to the facility.
- Leaking Liquid Lowdown: Perhaps most visually concerning was a “dark liquid with a sheen” oozing from a trash pile in the southwest corner of the property. C & R Recyclers couldn’t identify this flow either, leaving open the possibility of some seriously nasty stuff seeping into the ground.
The Ohio EPA is now demanding that C & R Recyclers get their act together, stat. The agency has given the company just 14 days from the receipt of the letter (dated May 16, 2025) to evaluate these questionable wastes and prove they aren’t hazardous. Documentation of these evaluations needs to land on the desk of Alison Konoff at the Ohio EPA pronto.
This isn’t the first time C & R Recyclers has found itself in the crosshairs of environmental regulators. A review of previous correspondence reveals a history of non-compliance dating back to at least December 2021. Issues flagged in earlier NOVs include:
- Flash Point Fails: Used oil at the facility failed flash point tests in 2022, indicating a potential fire hazard.
- Heavy Metal Hiccups: Elevated levels of lead were detected in used oil samples.
- VOC Vexations: The presence of volatile organic compounds like tetrachloroethene and xylenes raised concerns about inhalation, ingestion, and groundwater contamination risks.
- Hydrocarbon Hazards: Carcinogenic compounds like naphthalene were found in used oil.
- Paperwork Problems: Repeated delays and failures to provide requested documentation to the Ohio EPA.
- Universal Waste Woes: Violations related to the management and labeling of paint and paint-related waste containers.
- Used Oil Offenses: Improper storage and off-site shipment of used oil.
While C & R Recyclers managed to resolve some of these past violations, the latest findings suggest a persistent struggle with hazardous waste management. The Ohio EPA is clear: these new violations will continue until properly addressed, and failure to comply could lead to administrative or civil penalties.
The agency is also keeping a close eye on other aspects of C & R’s operations. They’ve recently requested the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for the soap used in the business, hinting that further violations could be on the horizon depending on its composition and handling.
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