Among the latest Scioto County grand jury indictments for drugs, theft, and other criminal cases, one charge stood out: illegal disposal of solid waste.
The grand jury indicted Beryle Raymond Spriggs, 69, of New Boston, on one count of open burning or open dumping of solid waste.
According to the indictment, Spriggs is accused of recklessly disposing of solid waste by open burning or open dumping on or about April 14 in Scioto County.
The charge falls under Ohio Revised Code 3734.03, which prohibits disposing of solid waste by open burning or open dumping unless specifically authorized under state rules.
In everyday language, the law is aimed at stopping people from dumping or burning waste in places where it does not belong.
That can include trash, debris, discarded materials, construction waste, household waste, tires, and other solid waste dumped on land, in waterways, or burned in an unauthorized way.
While a waste disposal indictment may not sound as dramatic as drug trafficking or assault, Ohio takes these cases seriously because illegal dumping and burning can create real public health and environmental problems.
Open dumping can attract pests, contaminate soil or water, create fire hazards, and leave taxpayers or property owners stuck with cleanup costs.
Open burning can send smoke, chemicals, and other harmful material into the air, especially if the waste includes plastics, treated wood, tires, or other materials that should not be burned.
The possible penalty is also serious. Under Ohio law, a reckless violation of the state’s solid waste chapter can be charged as a felony, with a possible fine of at least $10,000 and up to $25,000, a possible prison term of at least two years and up to four years, or both.
The Ohio Attorney General’s Office also lists open burning or open dumping of solid waste as an environmental crime and notes that reckless violations can be treated as an unclassified felony.
Spriggs was issued a summons to appear in Scioto County Common Pleas Court for arraignment on Aug. 26.
Court records also show Spriggs was cited on a sanitation violation in March, but that case was dismissed.
An indictment means the grand jury found enough evidence for the case to move forward. It is not a finding of guilt.
The charge is an allegation. Spriggs is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.