CINCINNATI (WKRC) - A Cincinnati business owner has been ordered to pay over half a million dollars for using four companies that dumped waste into a river.

Attorney General David Yost says that Douglas Evans illegally dumped waste into the Little Miami River through his business Evans Landscaping and three other businesses he owns. Evans must pay $550,000 with $137,500 going to the Little Miami Conservancy.

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and the Hamilton County Public Health District say that Evans violated Ohio laws regulating disposal of solid waste and construction and demolition debris at Mount Carmel Road, Broadwell Road, and Round Bottom Road.

Health officials saw that parts of demolished buildings, garbage, and other solid waste was dumped or buried at three sites.

As part of the suit, Evans agreed to clean up his properties.

He is responsible for building a cap over areas were construction and demolition debris were illegally disposed to prevent water from reaching the debris and contaminating water with harmful chemicals.

Evans must dig out and remove illegally disposed waste at the Broadwell site under Ohio EPA’s supervision.

He also must conduct groundwater monitoring to ensure that waste from his property is not polluting the groundwater and river at the Round Bottom.