Georgia's Environmental Protection Division hopes to recover more than $10.5 million it spent during a decadelong cleanup of the bankrupt Goldberg Bros. scrap yard off Dan Bowles Road.

According to a notice from the Georgia Attorney General's office, a hearing has been scheduled for April 17 in Augusta, during which a judge will be asked to allow the bankruptcy trustee to reimburse the state.

The cleanup was financed by a special trust fund managed by EPD to use when parties responsible for toxic problems can't -- or won't -- clean up their mess.

The state's total outlay, including site investigations, sampling and the removal and disposal of 50,800 tons of tires, metal, debris, mercury and contaminated soil, was $10,568,806, according to the notice.

"It's a typical filing for a recovery proceeding where the fund has expended money to clean up a waste site," said communications director Russ Willard, of the Georgia Attorney General's Office.

The Goldberg site was identified by environmental regulators as the source of pollution in nearby Hyde Park, where residents have lobbied for more than a decade for taxpayer-funded relocation.

The hazardous-waste trust fund, or "state superfund" is derived from fees paid by hazardous waste generators. Although the fees total about $14 million per year, the amount placed into the fund each year is determined by the General Assembly.

The hearing will be in U.S. Bankruptcy Court.