The state Department of Environmental Protection has hired a contractor to clean up illegal piles of refuse dumped in Carbon and Schuylkill counties last August.

The Carbon County sites slated for cleanup are Route 895 in East Penn Township, Sawmill Road in Franklin Township, Smithlane Road in East Penn Township, Torco on Riverview Road in East Penn Township, and Snyder Tire on Route 443 in Lehighton.Sites in Schuylkill County are located on Route 309 and Lofty Road in Kline Township.The piles contain construction waste and other materials. The pile at Snyder Tire contains building materials, wood, paper, garbage and even part of a swimming pool.Colleen Connolly, DEP spokeswoman, said DEP is pursuing action against Michael Stine of MS Recycling, who is suspected to be responsible for the dumping.DEP said Stine, who has a base in the Lehigh Valley, is also a suspect in a pile left in Taylor, Lackawanna County.Stine was ordered to clean up the sites, but he has not complied.On Jan. 30, DEP hired URS Services to oversee the cleanup.The DEP has a suspect in the case of two piles of destruction and demolition debris illegally dumped Wednesday night in Carbon County.Connolly said the cost of the cleanup is estimated to be $30,000, which will be paid out of the Solid Waste Abatement Fund.The fund consists of money businesses and people pay when they get fined by DEP for other illegal environmental activities, such as dumping and oil spills."No taxpayer money will be used," Connolly said.