Media Release - Mercer Co. couple charged with operating illegal tire dump site

 

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Inspectors with the West Virginia State Fire Marshal’s Office have charged two Mercer County residents with operating an illegal outdoor tire storage facility.

 

 Robert B. Cline and Nickolette Cline, both of Princeton, had been storing hundreds of tires on their property. This prompted a four-month investigation involving WVSFMO inspectors, the W.Va. Department of Environmental Protection, Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, and Mercer County Litter Control. The investigation resulted in the arrests of the couple on Aug. 14.

 

 Robert Cline was already in jail on unrelated charges at the time of the search. Nickolette Cline was arrested at the home.  They are both charged with violating State Code 87-1-10, which regulates the storage of tires, and with violating the State Fire Prevention Act. 

 

Each Cline was charged with 35 misdemeanor counts, one for each day they were out of compliance with code and had not completed cleanup of the site. The maximum penalty for each count is a $100 dollar fine or 90 days in jail.

 

Assistant State Fire Marshals L. Price, K. Morrison, J. Lewis and S. Petry all assisted in the investigation. This was a combined effort by the Department of Environmental Protection and the Mercer County Sheriff's Department.