PIKE COUNTY, Ohio — One Pike County property owner has found themselves in the crosshairs of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency after multiple inspections revealed a massive cache of scrap tires spread across a 16-acre property on Dry Bone Road in rural Pike County.
According to a notice of violation obtained by the Scioto Valley Guardian, the Ohio EPA issued its second violation notice to the property owner on March 16 for open dumping of scrap tires at 3496 Dry Bone Road. The agency says inspectors found “multiple piles and stacks” of large off-the-road tires dumped in various locations across the entire 16.63-acre parcel.
No cleanup since first inspection
The EPA’s latest inspection, conducted on Feb. 9, reportedly found that no noticeable action had been taken to remove the tires since the agency’s first site visit on Sept. 4, 2025, according to the violation letter.
Photographs taken during both inspections and included in the violation documents show tires stacked along the property’s perimeter, piled in open fields, lined along the roadside, and dumped near a creek and tree line.
What the law requires
Under Ohio Revised Code Chapter 3734 and Ohio Administrative Code Rule 3745-27-05(D), open dumping is prohibited. Property owners found in violation are required to remove the tires using a registered scrap tire transporter and dispose of them at a licensed facility.
The EPA has given the property owner 14 days from receipt of the letter to provide documentation of cleanup actions or submit a compliance plan. Failure to comply could result in administrative or civil penalties, the agency warned.
Free cleanup assistance may be available
Notably, the Ohio EPA’s Division of Materials and Waste Management operates a scrap tire removal program that may cover the cost of cleanup at no charge to qualifying property owners. Citizens, businesses, and local governments can apply through the agency’s “No Fault” tire removal request program. Applications are available on the Ohio EPA’s scrap tire program page at epa.ohio.gov.
What’s next
The Ohio EPA has indicated that continued noncompliance could escalate to administrative or civil enforcement action. Residents with concerns about the site can contact the EPA’s Southeast District Office in Logan at 740-385-8501.