PIKE COUNTY, Ohio — A local sand mining operation is facing significant scrutiny from state environmental regulators after the Ohio EPA issued a formal Notice of Violation against Ohio Sands, LLC, located at 255 Wickline Road in Beaver.
The notice, dated March 4, 2026, came after the Ohio EPA’s Division of Surface Water completed a desktop compliance review of the facility on February 17, 2026. Regulators found the company in violation of Ohio environmental law on four separate counts.
Dirty Water Concerns
At the center of the violations are repeated exceedances of total suspended solids — essentially, the amount of particles and sediment being discharged into waterways. According to the notice, the facility reported violations of this standard as far back as December 2024, continuing through November 2025. The violations were serious enough that Ohio EPA designated the facility as in “significant noncompliance,” a formal classification reserved for the most serious permit breaches.
Missing Reports
Beyond the water quality concerns, regulators also found that Ohio Sands, LLC failed to submit the required Discharge Monitoring Reports for December 2025 and January 2026. The notice further states that the November 2025 report, which was due December 20, 2025, was not submitted until January 12, 2026 — more than three weeks late.
Construction Failures
A fourth violation states that the facility has failed to construct its industrial wastewater disposal systems in accordance with an approved permit and required schedule, a breach of both Ohio law and a prior order issued against the company.
Prior Legal History
This is not the first time Ohio Sands, LLC has been in regulators’ crosshairs. The EPA’s notice references a Director’s Final Findings and Orders issued against the company on November 22, 2024 — meaning the state had already taken formal legal action against the facility more than a year before this latest notice was issued.
What Happens Next
Ohio Sands, LLC and its manager have 30 days from receipt of the notice to provide documentation of corrective actions taken. The company is also on the hook for stipulated financial penalties tied to the prior court orders, which must be paid within 30 days after the violations are resolved.
Failure to comply could result in administrative or civil penalties under Ohio Revised Code Chapter 6111.
Ohio Sands, LLC is one of several companies linked to Konya, including Konya Silica Sands, LLC, Ohio Sands Solutions, LLC, Silica Sands Solutions, LLC, and KIM Real Estate Group, LLC — all listed at the same Montville address and all receiving copies of the violation notice.