Volunteers Dig in to Help Clean Up Illegal Dumpsites

Volunteers Clean Up

Volunteers cleaning up an illegal dumpsite filled this 30 yard open dumpster that was donated for the day by Waste Management. This site included bags, upon bags of household garbage, furniture, carpet, and construction materials.

In the inset photo, volunteers picked up over 200 tires that had been illegally dumped.

Several illegal dumpsites in Perry County on the Wayne National Forest were cleaned up on Sept. 7 thanks to more than 30 volunteers who were on the job early near Shawnee off Dutch Ridge Road on Twp. Road 247.

The volunteers worked four hours and collected over 200 scrap tires off the National Forest. With the help of a Monday Creek Township backhoe and operator, the volunteers managed to fill a 30 yard open dumpster donated by Waste Management out of Perry County. The illegal dumpsite included bags of household garbage, furniture, carpet and construction materials (roofing shingles).

Organizers say they made a big impact, but will plan further cleanups in this part of Perry County. The public is urged to call authorities if they see anyone dumping in the area.

The public is reminded that Illegal dumping is an environmental crime. Dumping tires is a felony offense in Ohio. Dumpsites with scrap tires provide an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes. Severe illnesses have been attributed to disease-carrying mosquitoes originating from scrap tire piles.

This volunteer event was held in partnership with Perry County Waste Reduction & Recycling, Perry County Juvenile Court, Rural Action and the Appalachia Ohio Zero Waste Initiative, Wayne National Forest, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Monday Creek Township, Perry County Engineer, and Keep Southeast Ohio Beautiful.