GARFIELD HEIGHTS, Ohio — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced on Thursday that Baumann's Recycling Center in Garfield Heights has agreed to pay $1.5 million to settle an environmental lawsuit regarding illegal recycling.
The lawsuit was centered on an illegal landfill that was operated by Baumann's Recycling Center for nearly a decade, according to Yost.
"I am committed to protecting Ohio’s environment from unlawful contamination," Yost said. "As an avid outdoorsman, I find it to be imperative that we leave a limited footprint for future generations."
The settlement would end what has been a five-year battle between Yost and Baumann's Recycling. The case began in January 2019, when Yost sued the business for allegedly disposing of construction and demolition debris, open dumping solid waste and "several" violations of state fire code.
The lawsuit came as a result of an investigation by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, which indicated that the company was not properly recycling construction and demolition debris. The company was allegedly operating an "unlicensed landfill for many years, illegally amassing nearly 200,000 cubic yards of waste and creating environmental and public health hazards that threatened the surrounding communities."
In June 2019, Yost, who was representing the Ohio EPA, Cuyahoga County Board of Health and the Garfield Heights Fire Department, secured a court order that required Baumann's to begin cleaning up their site on Chaincraft Road.
Yost's office says that to date, more than 50,000 cubic yards of decomposing debris have been removed, which is "significant progress that has reduced the imminent fire hazard and safeguarded the neighborhood."
Yost's office filed a consent order on Thursday morning in the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court. If approved by Judge Kelly Ann Gallagher, the settlement will include the following:
- A civil penalty of $1.5 million, with opportunities to have that amount lowered based on compliance milestones – a structured approach that ensures accountability and incentivizes the company to perform a timely cleanup.
- Provisions for processing remaining construction and demolition debris, removing legacy material, implementing fire-control measures, and assessing noncompliance penalties.
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