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Scenic Pit operator issued four citations

1/25/2020

3 Comments

 
This article was published in Daily News Sat Jan 25, 2020

Scenic Pit operator issued four citations for alleged DNR violations  Zoulek Family LLC faces possible fines totaling $60,000

By Joe VanDeLaarschot
​
RICHFIELD – The operators of the Scenic Pit cleanfill landfill in the village are scheduled to make an initial appearance in Washington County Circuit Court Feb. 6 at 8:15 a.m. after recently being issued four citations by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

Danah Zoulek, who along with her family has operated Scenic Pit for about two years said she is "working diligently with the DNR and suppliers" to clean up the problem that she said is the reason for the citations. She said the citations were issued because the trucks coming and going into the landfill were tracking excess mud onto the village road.

​"The main issue I’m having has nothing to do with water going over onto the road or things like that. It’s the trucks’ tires tracking mud onto the road from the site and I also have to update my site plan as well," Zoulek said. "You know we had 100 year rains last year. So it made the tracking issue much more difficult and the tracking pad I had just did not do enough with the amount of rain we had."

Zoulek said once she has some customers pay their bills she will have enough money to purchase a FODS system which is a track-out control system to remove mud and sediment from large vehicle tires.

Zoulek said people continue to cut her fences, which allows her animals out of their enclosure. She said this has caused her to receive multiple prior citations.

"The (most recent) DNR citations were issued because the village is not happy with me. When a local government agency has unlimited resources to go after a business owner it makes it insanely hard for me to get things done," Zoulek said. "I can be fined $60,000 for the four citations – $15,000 a piece, if I contest them.

"If I agree to settle it could be $1,200 a piece," Zoulek said. "I just want to point out this all stems from complaints so it’s not as if the DNR on its own is coming out and inspecting. It is based on complaints from the village."

The DNR recently informed Zoulek and the village that they would soon be bringing in an environmental enforcement specialist to deal with the case.

Village Administrator Jim Healy said the village has been concerned from the beginning regarding the capacity of the property owner to run an operation that is compliant with DNR regulations.

"Recent news that Zoulek Family LLC continues to violate the few regulations that govern clean fill facilities is not surprising nor is the fact that they have received citations. We continue to field calls from our residents on almost a daily basis," Healy said. "The village will continue to monitor the situation and work with the DNR to ensure compliance.

DNR Communications Director Sarah Hoye said in an email the DNR’s construction site erosion control permits require landowners to install "best management practices," or BMPs, to help decrease the amount of sediment that pollutes Wisconsin’s waterways.

Hoye said citations are an enforcement tool that the DNR uses for violations of NR 216 construction erosion control permit requirements to protect water quality by compelling compliance.

"That said, due to the ongoing investigation and enforcement for this construction site, no specific information can be provided at this time," Hoye said.

Zoulek said she would like to know if the village has called the DNR to complain about other businesses or people in the village that have also been dragging mud onto village roads.

Danah Zoulek looks over the edge of the pit on her property near a new pile of clean fill that was dropped off in October 2017 at the site along Scenic Drive in Richfield. The Zoulek Family LLC, which operates the business, was recently issued four citations for violation of Department of Natural Resources regulations.
 
3 Comments
Curt Huettner link
1/26/2020 06:33:15 am

The excuses Zoulek continues to roll out are getting tired.
No one is cutting her fences everyday, which is how often her animals are running around adjacent neighborhoods. This past week, her animals were at large everyday. She allegedly has cameras all over her property, so if this indeed was happening, why wouldn’t she share this video evidence with the Washington County sheriffs department, and challenge these citations? There are 4 neighbors within a quarter mile that have horses/donkeys and I have never seen their animals run wild. This situation is completely irresponsible on her behalf. With the position of her lot location and the perpetual times her animals are running loose, it is only a matter of time until someone is injured, or worse yet, dies by striking a horse with their vehicle.
Regarding the road outside her property, the amount of debris is starting to become excessive as well. Excuses from Zoulek again that it’s because we had “100 year rainfall last year” just are not accurate. Also, there is no track pad on her property unless a giant mud platform constitutes a track pad. It is no surprise that the Village gets daily complaints over this but I doubt the village was the only one to contact the DNR over this repeated road debris and runoff violation.
Finally, I would hate to really know what is being dumped into that pit because if Zoulek can’t control the very basic things on her property like animals and debris, who is governing the garbage being dumped on it?

Reply
B. Nickles
1/26/2020 06:11:16 pm

It's easy to see why this business is having problems after reading Curt's comment. I would also assume it is Curt complaining to the DNR. Doesn't take rocket science to compute that.

Reply
Marie
1/28/2020 09:50:28 pm

Fence being cut by someone? Hum..when she was interviewed by channel 58 two donkeys were outside the fence. Did they tamper the Fence or were they just NOT fenced in. Can’t blame anyone for that but herself

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