Marine
11-24-2002, 5:00pm
MAY VALLEY -- Environmental activist Chuck Pillon is running an illegal wrecking yard and landfill on his 10 acres not far from a creek he once illegally dredged, county and state officials claim.
Armed with a search warrant, about a half dozen state troopers and a county code enforcement officer spent several hours Friday inspecting Pillon's property off State Route 900.
A video taken from the county's Guardian 1 helicopter in late October showed about 100 junked vehicles and a huge pile of debris on Pillon's land east of Renton.
``This is a health hazard,'' said Jeri Breazeal, a code enforcement officer with the county's Department of Development and Environmental Services. ``It's a violation of so many codes.''
She has presented Pillon an order outlining code violations, a timeline to correct them, and a list of fines. He must remove all inoperable vehicles, vehicle parts, scrap, garbage, junk and debris by Feb. 24.
The health department also has its eye on Pillon's land and may take action soon.
Breazeal posted no-occupancy signs on several trailers where Pillon has provided shelter for the homeless and others down on their luck. Troopers led away one of his ``tenants'' in handcuffs on an outstanding warrant.
Washington state Trooper Willie Hernandez had obtained the search warrant so he could verify reports that Pillon was turning junk vehicles into scrap metal without a state wrecker's license.
``He has an illegal wrecking yard,'' said Hernandez, who plans to file gross misdemeanor charges against Pillon in Renton District Court.
As ever, Pillon is defiant. He's a staunch defender of property rights and isn't afraid to step in to do the government's job when he thinks he can do it better and cheaper.
``The list of things you can't do is beyond imagination,'' said Pillon, referring to government regulations. He ignored those regulations when he dredged a portion of May Creek two summers ago to ease flooding in May Valley.
He has since tried to convince the county that the large logs and other debris it is placing in rivers and streams for fish habitat is a danger to swimmers and don't work anyway.
He's also working with Renton officials to help clean up a Renton motel that has been plagued with drug use and prostitution in the past.
Pillon's 10 acres is mostly hidden away on a hillside above May Valley. The only hint of what lies up his long driveway are a couple of junked vehicles and a boat sitting next to State Route 900.
Almost in the middle of his property is a mountain of debris filled with junk vehicles, waste from barns, including animal feces, and scrap lumber and metal.
What officials fear is that a toxic brew of oil and gasoline is mixed into this pile. The smell of gas and oil fills the air. He says he recycles the oil and uses the gasoline in his tractors.
Steam rises from the decomposing garbage in the pile. He makes dirt out of this big compost pile.
Scattered throughout the property are lawnmowers, a handful of large trucks, school buses, an antique fire engine, uncovered engines, power tools and boats, including one that's partially submerged in a pond.
The ponds on his property, including at least two which he has dug, collect runoff. Pillon says that any runoff that reaches the highway is highly diluted and poses no threat to May Creek.
An investigator with the National Insurance Crime Bureau was on site Friday to help state troopers run vehicle identification numbers against a list of stolen vehicles. They pointed flashlights into engines and scraped off rust with small brushes.
If any vehicles are reported stolen, troopers could charge Pillon with possession of stolen property.
``It's called auto theft. They're not his,'' said Hernandez.
And without a title, Pillon can't legally turn the junked vehicle into scrap and sell the metal.
``I disagree with that and I will until I die,'' said Pillon, a retired Seattle police officer. He said he has titles to about half of the vehicles.
In fact, Pillon said he purposefully scraps vehicles for which he doesn't have a title. ``That way, they can be sold without a title,'' he said.
If he didn't do something with all that junk, it would just pile up along the roads and in the creeks in his beloved valley. And he's saving the county money because its workers don't have to do the job he's doing, he said.
He said his operation is an ``open secret. This is what they call Iron Mountain,'' he said.
He does it for the money, although he said he only gets ``nickels and dimes'' from the scrap metal. Still, he said, ``there is a sense there is something useful here.''
He's blunt about almost everything he does on his property.
``I house homeless people on my property in substandard housing,'' he said. The last known address of one tenant is the parking lot at Leonard's, a popular local cafe.
Some of his ``tenants'' have smoked some marijuana, but he's never had a meth lab, he said.
Breazeal won't even hazard a guess how much it would cost to clean up Pillon's mess. The county could place a lien on Pillon's property, which Pillon estimates is worth about $1 million.
He built the house himself in 1979. He admits he won't ``look good,'' but he stands by what he's doing. He had hoped those people living with him would help. But that hasn't happened.
``I am not ashamed of the mess,'' he said. ``I am saddened.''
Dean Radford covers King County. He can be reached at dean.radford@southcountyjournal.com or 253-872-6719.
COUNTY CODE VIOLATIONS
* Accumulating inoperable vehicles, vehicle parts, scrap, garbage, junk and debris.
* Parking or storing more than eight vehicles and parking on non-improved surfaces .
* Accumulating and storing vehicles not owned by the resident of the property, and commercial equipment and storage containers.
* Operating illegal businesses, including an auto wrecking yard, landfill and yard waste recycling business.
* Placing and occupying mobile homes without permits.
* Placing and occupying substandard vehicles (recreational vehicles) without permits.
* Clearing and grading without permits. and placing fill in sensitive areas and buffers.
http://www.southcountyjournal.com/sited/story/html/112916
Armed with a search warrant, about a half dozen state troopers and a county code enforcement officer spent several hours Friday inspecting Pillon's property off State Route 900.
A video taken from the county's Guardian 1 helicopter in late October showed about 100 junked vehicles and a huge pile of debris on Pillon's land east of Renton.
``This is a health hazard,'' said Jeri Breazeal, a code enforcement officer with the county's Department of Development and Environmental Services. ``It's a violation of so many codes.''
She has presented Pillon an order outlining code violations, a timeline to correct them, and a list of fines. He must remove all inoperable vehicles, vehicle parts, scrap, garbage, junk and debris by Feb. 24.
The health department also has its eye on Pillon's land and may take action soon.
Breazeal posted no-occupancy signs on several trailers where Pillon has provided shelter for the homeless and others down on their luck. Troopers led away one of his ``tenants'' in handcuffs on an outstanding warrant.
Washington state Trooper Willie Hernandez had obtained the search warrant so he could verify reports that Pillon was turning junk vehicles into scrap metal without a state wrecker's license.
``He has an illegal wrecking yard,'' said Hernandez, who plans to file gross misdemeanor charges against Pillon in Renton District Court.
As ever, Pillon is defiant. He's a staunch defender of property rights and isn't afraid to step in to do the government's job when he thinks he can do it better and cheaper.
``The list of things you can't do is beyond imagination,'' said Pillon, referring to government regulations. He ignored those regulations when he dredged a portion of May Creek two summers ago to ease flooding in May Valley.
He has since tried to convince the county that the large logs and other debris it is placing in rivers and streams for fish habitat is a danger to swimmers and don't work anyway.
He's also working with Renton officials to help clean up a Renton motel that has been plagued with drug use and prostitution in the past.
Pillon's 10 acres is mostly hidden away on a hillside above May Valley. The only hint of what lies up his long driveway are a couple of junked vehicles and a boat sitting next to State Route 900.
Almost in the middle of his property is a mountain of debris filled with junk vehicles, waste from barns, including animal feces, and scrap lumber and metal.
What officials fear is that a toxic brew of oil and gasoline is mixed into this pile. The smell of gas and oil fills the air. He says he recycles the oil and uses the gasoline in his tractors.
Steam rises from the decomposing garbage in the pile. He makes dirt out of this big compost pile.
Scattered throughout the property are lawnmowers, a handful of large trucks, school buses, an antique fire engine, uncovered engines, power tools and boats, including one that's partially submerged in a pond.
The ponds on his property, including at least two which he has dug, collect runoff. Pillon says that any runoff that reaches the highway is highly diluted and poses no threat to May Creek.
An investigator with the National Insurance Crime Bureau was on site Friday to help state troopers run vehicle identification numbers against a list of stolen vehicles. They pointed flashlights into engines and scraped off rust with small brushes.
If any vehicles are reported stolen, troopers could charge Pillon with possession of stolen property.
``It's called auto theft. They're not his,'' said Hernandez.
And without a title, Pillon can't legally turn the junked vehicle into scrap and sell the metal.
``I disagree with that and I will until I die,'' said Pillon, a retired Seattle police officer. He said he has titles to about half of the vehicles.
In fact, Pillon said he purposefully scraps vehicles for which he doesn't have a title. ``That way, they can be sold without a title,'' he said.
If he didn't do something with all that junk, it would just pile up along the roads and in the creeks in his beloved valley. And he's saving the county money because its workers don't have to do the job he's doing, he said.
He said his operation is an ``open secret. This is what they call Iron Mountain,'' he said.
He does it for the money, although he said he only gets ``nickels and dimes'' from the scrap metal. Still, he said, ``there is a sense there is something useful here.''
He's blunt about almost everything he does on his property.
``I house homeless people on my property in substandard housing,'' he said. The last known address of one tenant is the parking lot at Leonard's, a popular local cafe.
Some of his ``tenants'' have smoked some marijuana, but he's never had a meth lab, he said.
Breazeal won't even hazard a guess how much it would cost to clean up Pillon's mess. The county could place a lien on Pillon's property, which Pillon estimates is worth about $1 million.
He built the house himself in 1979. He admits he won't ``look good,'' but he stands by what he's doing. He had hoped those people living with him would help. But that hasn't happened.
``I am not ashamed of the mess,'' he said. ``I am saddened.''
Dean Radford covers King County. He can be reached at dean.radford@southcountyjournal.com or 253-872-6719.
COUNTY CODE VIOLATIONS
* Accumulating inoperable vehicles, vehicle parts, scrap, garbage, junk and debris.
* Parking or storing more than eight vehicles and parking on non-improved surfaces .
* Accumulating and storing vehicles not owned by the resident of the property, and commercial equipment and storage containers.
* Operating illegal businesses, including an auto wrecking yard, landfill and yard waste recycling business.
* Placing and occupying mobile homes without permits.
* Placing and occupying substandard vehicles (recreational vehicles) without permits.
* Clearing and grading without permits. and placing fill in sensitive areas and buffers.
http://www.southcountyjournal.com/sited/story/html/112916