A Greene County mulch company reached a settlement with the State of Ohio for allegedly violating water laws. The state alleged in their complaint that Tom’s Mulch & Landscaping in Bellbrook illegally discharged unpermitted contaminated stormwater pollutants into Sugar Creek, and into a local wetland and stream.
Judd and Laura Powell, the owners of Tom’s Mulch, had been notified by the Ohio EPA multiple times since 2019 that they were operating their class III solid waste composting facility without the required National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits.
The state also alleged Tom’s Mulch, which sits on 19 acres in Bellbrook, had compost piles directly adjacent to the Sugar Creek, instead of in an approved area.
The location of Tom’s Mulch on the Sugar Creek is just 1.3 stream miles from its confluence with the Little Miami River, which is considered a national scenic river because of its exceptional ecological value, the state said in its initial complaint.
The company previously paid fines to the state but never obtained the required permits. Under the terms of the July 2023 settlement, the Powell’s must pay an additional $25,000 thousand, move the compost pile to a permitted location and obtain all proper permitting from state agencies.
Tom’s Mulch didn’t respond to WYSO’s request for comment.
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