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Protect the Environment-End Illegal Dumping

Protect the Environment-End Illegal Dumping

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Illegal Dumping is a community blight that should be stopped. We are the stewards of this earth. We are the protectors of life. Mother nature has entrusted us with the task of preserving and cultivating the environment so that it flourishes. Most people would say they believe this, that is until they need to dispose of a large broken-down washing machine, or an old mattress, and they lack a nearby dumpster to throw it in. Often, a person’s desperate desire to get rid of bulk trash items outweighs their concern for the well-being of the environment, which results in illegal dumping.

Aside from creating an unpleasant site to behold, illegal dumping produces “chemicals from wastes and certain appliances” that “can leach into soil and local waterways causing damage to plants, wildlife, and water quality.” In addition to this, old appliances release chlorofluorocarbon into the air which severely damages the earth’s ozone layer. We cannot neglect the ozone layer unless we want to get burned up by the ultraviolet rays from the sun. And ozone destroying chemicals are not the only harmful consequence that can come from illegal dumping. Illegal dumping can also cause fires, pest infestations, and spread bacteria and viruses that infect animals and people. All these other risks pose an enormous threat to wildlife and surrounding communities. It is irresponsible to allow illegal dumping to continue for the sake of both nature and human life. But fighting illegal dumping and saving the environment can sometimes feel overwhelming since so many people do not want to take the extra effort to dispose of waste legally.

Thankfully, many communities are implementing an Illegal Dumping Enforcement Program. A successful Illegal Dumping Enforcement Program with internal departments working together includes Education, Legislation, Staff Resources, Tools and Enforcement. It is essential departments are utilizing Illegal Dumping Enforcement Cameras, which are specially designed to capture license plates and legally binding evidence to prosecute.

What is your community doing to protect the environment from illegal dumping?

#publicworks #noillegaldumping #stopillegaldumping

 

Price to Pay-Illegal Dumping

Price to Pay-Illegal Dumping

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Illegal Dumping is a careless nuisance crime that not only takes a toll on the environment but also on the city’s pocketbook.

When people illegally dump tires, trash, and even toxic waste, the cities are the ones who must pay to remove and clean up the dumpsite, and there are a lot of dumpsites out there. “It is estimated that there is currently approximately 98,995,672 tons of illegally dumped waste worldwide”. This means that the city government must pay to people to dispose of almost 100,000,000 tons of waste, and that’s a big chunk of change for cities.

According to Green Eco Services, Colorado, among many other states, had to revise their budget plan to ensure that illegal dumpsites are taken care of and monitored, which included a $250,00+ annual budget! Among the other states that have a budget, Los Angeles’s budget is $500,00+ and growing!

Illegal Dumping is pricy for environment and the pocketbook.

It’s always a good thing for cities to pick up the waste from the dumpsites, but illegal dumpers always seem to find their way back to the dumpsite. How can Illegal dumpers be stopped? How can the problem of dumping stop before it occurs?

Illegal Dumping Enforcement Program

  • Internal departments must work together
  • Educate the public
  • Involve the community
  • Hotlines
  • Tough Legislation
  • Staff Resources
  • Illegal Dumping Enforcement Cameras– Designed specifically for illegal dumping
  • Enforcement

 

All these components are needed for a successful Illegal Dumping Enforcement Program!  What is your city doing?

Illegal Dumping Spreads Disease

Illegal Dumping Spreads Disease

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It truly is an enigma, the issue of persistent illegal dumping. The harmful effects of illegal dumping are so numerous and diverse, that it MUST be stopped with the utmost urgency and rigor. One negative consequence which ought to be sufficient motivation for the swift eradication of illegal dumping is the drastic spread of zoonotic pathogens via rats.

Pathogens which can be transmitted from animals to humans are commonly carried by rats and other rodents. And when waste is disposed in places without permitted and controlled facilities to safely store or dispose of said waste, it provides a ready source of nutrition and shelter for the dastardly rodents which carry the zoonotic pathogens. The rodents can spread the pathogens by means of their ecto- and endoparasites.

Thus, people do not even need to come into direct contact with the rodents to be infected. All that is necessary is for the ectoparasites, which the rats carry, to abandon ship in favor of a human host. The highly infectious power which rats wield can easily be proven, if one only reviews the history of the Bubonic Plague. The Bubonic Plague ravaged all of Europe, killing roughly 33% of its population. And this was all made possible by rats traveling via cargo ships.

Not surprisingly, urban areas suffer the most from this issue of increased infection rates. This is because many urban areas cannot effectively manage their waste, which leads to continuous creation of new illegal waste sites, which ultimately produces a rat’s utopia. Waste such as used tires, construction debris, old appliances and furniture, as well as general household, commercial and industrial waste provide a reliable source of nutrition and shelter for rodents and consequently a home base for the spread of zoonotic pathogens.

To make a difference, Public Works and Code Enforcement Departments need the right tools to implement an Illegal Dumping Enforcement Program.  The best tools available are Illegal Dumping Cameras, especially designed to capture prosecutable evidence in remote areas.

Has your city equipped your departments with the right tools to combat illegal dumping?

Stop Illegal Dumping of E-Waste!

Stop Illegal Dumping of E-Waste!

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Illegal dumping is becoming a huge problem, specifically the unauthorized dumping of e-waste. Dumping occurs all throughout the nation, and it needs to be stopped before it causes more damage than what has already been done.

One of the more harmful effects of illegal dumping are fires. These fires that are caused by dumping occur from people dumping tires or hazard waste products that should have a proper disposal technique. When the waste, specifically electronic waste, is illegally dumped it is extremely harmful to the environment and its surroundings.

Electronic waste, or e-waste, is defined as “discarded electrical equipment”. When electronics are illegally dumped, it is very likely to cause a fire wherever the dump site may be. How do these e-waste fires start? The batteries inside of the electronics are very combustible and are very dangerous.

Illegal dumpers may think that their illegal deposit of waste is harmless, but it causes extreme consequences that hurt the environment through toxic pollution and an out-of-control fire that will destroy acres of land.

How can municipalities stop illegal dumping?

  • Educate the community about how to safely dispose of hazardous waste.
  • Provide days for the community to drop off their hazardous waste.
  • Provide hotlines for citizens to report dump spots and illegal dumping activity.
  • Immediately clean up all unauthorized dumping to prevent further risk.
  • Install Illegal dumping cameras especially design to identify license plates and dumping activity in remote areas.
  • Use social media to educate and ask the community for help in identifying the offender.

Get the tools you need to stop illegal dumping!