Lawsuit filed against owners of tire dump

SALINEVILLE — Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann’s office is seeking a preliminary injunction to inspect and clean up a shredded tire dump.

The lawsuit filed Wednesday in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court contends that the owners, Theodore H. and Debra L. Tsesmilles, have repeatedly told the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency they do not have the money to clean up the property.

Tsesmilles’ Dump, at 165 E. Main St., has been a dump site since 1999. The OEPA contends it is an unlicensed solid waste disposal facility that has also caught on fire in the past.

Inspections indicate there are currently 10,000 tires at the site.

The OEPA says the tires are a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

The owners have ignored a number of violation notices, according to the lawsuit.

The owners were also ordered March 1 to remove the tires and implement mosquito control measures but did nothing, according to the lawsuit.