NEGLEY (WKBN) — A local business owner has been cleaning up much more than debris from Sunday’s storms. He instead found his property to be a muddy mess.

Steve Yanni moved to Negley for the convenience of his home being a stone’s throw away from his jobs.

He owns Bulldog Motorsports and volunteers at Negley Volunteer Fire Department. Behind his property is the PennOhio Negley landfill, which he believes has left a coating of dust on the road below.

“You try to try to work with them, be neighborly and this, that and the other, but the dust is, I mean, you can see it out there with them trucks going by. It’s not cool. You can’t even sit on the porch,” Yanni said.

Chad Davidson is also a neighbor with concerns.

“When I cut my grass, the front yard, I had to take breaks because of the dust that’s saturated into this, the soil, and of the grass, and when the mower kicks it up, I mean, I’m breathing it,” Davison said.

Residents say that since PennOhio Negley began the new project, rocks have fallen down the hill and onto the road. Runoff from the rain has caused flooding.

“The water last night was so hard, it would knock you down going down that road, out back,” Yanni said.

Yanni estimates he won’t be able to do business for four or five days. The basement of his home is also flooded.

“We had a meeting a month ago with some of the higher-ups from the EPA with the facility operator, and they assured us that these issues would be addressed and taken care of, and it’s been a month, and not one of them’s been taken care of,” Davidson said.

“Three years ago, I had a fire here. This shop burnt clear to the ground. We have worked our butts off to get back to where we are today, and it’s just like, I keep getting kicked, kicked, kicked, knocked down. Yes, start over again, you know,” Yanni said.

Yanni says PennOhio Negley is sending a cleaning crew for Wednesday, but neighbors believe that is not enough.

“I hate to move out of my hometown, but I mean, when you’re, when you can’t sit even on your front porch with your wife on a Saturday morning or a Friday morning to have a cup of coffee, know there’s something wrong with that,” Davidson said.

“Maybe one of our elected officials or somebody higher up will see this and try to help us out a little bit,” Yanni said.

First News reached out to Ohio EPA and received the following statement in response:

“Ohio EPA is aware of the runoff and sediment from PennOhio Landfill impacting the Negley area following the recent heavy rain events.

Ohio EPA has issued a Notice of Violation (NOV) to the landfill today for violating its 2021 Director’s Final Findings and Orders(DFFOs), which require the facility to properly manage stormwater. The agency has also been in communication with the landfill to ensure stormwater issues associated with the landfill are properly addressed.

The mud and sediment on the roadways can create obstructions for vehicles, and drivers should use caution.

PennOhio has met with impacted neighbors to provide cleaning services.”