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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Bill could gut GMO ordinance, group says ... Our View: We are not ready for The Really Big One ... Serious crime down in Medford ... Bill could gut GMO ordinance, group says ... Our View: We are not ready for The Really Big One ... Serious crime down in Medford ... JOSEPHINE COUNTY Landowner, companies fined for dumping drywall Comment By Shaun Hall Grants Pass Daily Courier MailTribune.com By Shaun Hall Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Jan. 29, 2015 at 2:21 PM By Shaun Hall Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Jan. 29, 2015 at 2:21 PM » Social News Ken Krauss says he was improving the quality of his soil when he had two companies dump drywall in a field on his rural property west of Grants Pass. Instead, what he and the companies got were hefty fines for what the state says was illegal dumping. Krauss also paid $38,000 to clean up the property. Over the past few years, Krauss invited Farmer's Building & Feed Supply and Southern Oregon Drywall to dispose of drywall at his property, at 5006 Redwood Ave., near Redwood Highway in the Jerome Prairie area. Drywall contains gypsum, which is used in some places as a soil amendment. "We're totally upset about it," Krauss said, after the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issued a news release about the fines. "If the Sheetrock is ground up, you can put it on the ground for agricultural purposes." Not so, says the DEQ, which considers drywall — also known as the brand name Sheetrock — to be solid waste. Drywall is made of gypsum, but it also contains resin, glue, binders and backing, according to the DEQ's David Esch, a solid waste specialist based in Medford. Also, drywall was not the only thing being illegally dumped on the Krauss property, Esch said. Also dumped there was wood, metal, painted drywall and asbestos-containing vinyl sheeting. Krauss, a former construction contractor, took payments from the companies, according to the state. "Mr. Krauss accepted funds to, in essence, open a landfill," Esch said. Krauss said he also was using the materials to fill a low spot in his field. The dumping took place between 2010 and 2014, according to DEQ. Farmer's dumped about 150 cubic yards of drywall scrap, while Southern Oregon Drywall disposed of about 225 cubic yards of what the state called construction debris, including some that contained asbestos. Farmer's did not return calls for comment for this story, but Southern Oregon Drywall owner Shane Drury said he dumped only clean drywall scraps — containing no asbestos. "I'm contesting it all," he said. Drury said Krauss approached him one day while he was at Farmer's Building Supply. "He told me he wanted loads of clean gypsum to be spread," Drury said. "He informed me he was plowing it into the ground and that it was good for the soil." Both Farmer's and Southern Oregon Drywall worked with Krauss to remove the debris from the site, according to the state. Farmer's was fined $9,000, while Southern Oregon Drywall was fined nearly $24,000. Krauss himself paid a $6,600 fine to the state, plus the additional $38,000 to have the dumped materials hauled away to a landfill. He also must replant a damaged area near a creek that flows into the Applegate River. The state says the debris polluted the creek. Krauss said others besides Farmer's and Southern Oregon Drywall might have dumped at the location, which is visible from the Redwood Highway. "I think there were two neighbors who asked if they could put a little stuff down there," he said. "People could drive by and see from the road, and they stopped and asked if they could unload their pickup. Apparently, that's where it (the asbestos) came from." Both companies dumped "virgin Sheetrock" scraps, Esch said. However, the state determined "by a process of elimination" that Southern Oregon Drywall was responsible for dumping asbestos-containing material, according to Esch. A cleanup contractor determined that about 45 cubic yards of construction debris found at the site came from demolition activity involving vinyl flooring and painted drywall that tested positive for asbestos. Drury, however, said his company doesn't do demolition work, and that he's taking his case to an arbitrator. "I am angry I'm involved in this," he said. "I take pride in every aspect of my business and have for over 20 years." It's illegal to dispose of solid waste anywhere except a licensed disposal facility. Illegal dumping can devalue adjacent land and endanger health by polluting waters. Esch said there are other illegal dumps containing such things as vehicles and appliances "all over Josephine County." Brad Carlson of the Josephine County Health Department said his agency last year fielded 32 complaints about illegal dump sites in Josephine County. Furniture and household items are among things dumped, he said. "I've seen it all," Carlson said. "It's widespread in Josephine County. It's an important environmental health issue." By Shaun Hall Grants Pass Daily Courier MailTribune.com By Shaun Hall Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Jan. 29, 2015 at 2:21 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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