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Illegal Dumping Enforcement Program

Illegal Dumping Solutions for Municipalities

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Illegal dumping is out of hand and has become a major priority for municipalities looking for solutions.  Municipalities are under extreme scrutiny to clean up unlawfully dumped sites immediately and to prevent them from happening throughout the community. This daunting duty is never ending and very costly.  In order to stop this the harmful behavior, an Illegal Dumping Enforcement Program must be implemented with the sole duty to handle illegal dumping.

An Illegal Dumping Enforcement Program needs to have the cooperation of many departments and have the resources to be successful.  Because most unlawful dumping sites are remote, the problems municipalities face are unique.   In addition to the complaints from citizens, the cities need to be accountable to any disease that the community is susceptible to because of trash piles that harbor disease carrying rodents and insects that spread to humans.

If your city, is not able to collect evidence to convict in court, the perpetrators will continue the harmful activity of throwing their unwanted items into an unlawful heap they know of or create a new spot to dispose of their broken appliances, trashy furniture, or construction debris. There are many video surveillance systems out there to tempt procurement, but do they actually help?

Many cameras in use are easily destroyed or stolen. Others promise license plates but cannot capture images of evidence to convict.  Most systems require internet wiring or electricity, which is not practicable when the sites are remote and move around. Still others have batteries that need to be changed weekly or monthly.  Most importantly, the images captured do not meet the needs of a court case and are not permitted in use during prosecution.   In order to convict and generate revenue from collecting fees, the images and evidence must be beyond reproach, high resolution, and taper proof.

An Illegal Dumping Enforcement System must have the following:

  • Be Vandal resistant.
  • Not require electricity or internet connection.
  • Be easily deployed and moved to another site.
  • Have a long-lasting battery that does not need to be changed for years.
  • Capture Images of faces, tattoos, and the items dumped.
  • Capture license plates in complete darkness.

The solution to stop municipal illegal dumping is a successful Illegal Dumping Enforcement Program that is equipped with the right tools.

 

 

 

PFAs in Illegal Dumping Sites

PFAs in Illegal Dumping Sites

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Per-and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAs) are toxic chemicals that are showing up in illegal dump sites.

This is what the EPA says about PFAs:

  • PFAS are widely used, long lasting chemicals, components of which break down very slowly over time.
  • Because of their widespread use and their persistence in the environment, many PFAS are found in the blood of people and animals all over the world and are present at low levels in a variety of food products and in the environment.
  • PFAS are found in water, air, fish, and soil at locations across the nation and the globe.
  • Scientific studies have shown that exposure to some PFAS in the environment may be linked to harmful health effects in humans and animals.
  • There are thousands of PFAS chemicals, and they are found in many different consumer, commercial, and industrial products. This makes it challenging to study and assess the potential human health and environmental risks.

Illegal dump sites are usually remote areas that are still convenient enough for people to illegally discard their bulky items, tires, and construct debris. Unlawfully deposed unwanted items contaminate the area in so many ways.  One of the most concerning threats is toxic waste entering the drinking water.  A big culprit for this type of pollution is tires.

The increasing alarm is the breakdown of tires which contain PFAs. These PFAs enter the soil, ground water, and the air, especially if they burn.  Tires left in an unsafe procedure can easily ignite causing a fire that can spread at a rapid pace causing immense damage.

In 2016, high levels of PFAs were detected in the soil, air, and drinking water. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Agency detected PFAs in private wells and the surrounding area and was able to identify the source from the massive tire fire from 1986 and the firefighting foam used to fight the fire.

Although the Pennsylvania fire was not an illegal dumping site, anyone can see multiple tires in an illegal dump site. This is why it is so important to stop the practice of unlawful dumping.  Illegal dumping is harming the safety of our very lives.  In order to stop illegal dumping an Illegal Dumping Enforcement Program must be implemented.

 

 

 

Successful Illegal Dumping Program

Successful Illegal Dumping Program

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First, ask what objectives are in mind and what challenges are already in place.

Most cities today face the backlash of not keeping the community safe from the hazards of illegal dumping. Therefore, the objective is to keep the environment safe from hazardous waste and debris that harbor disease and disease carrying rats and mosquitoes. Having no illegal dumping activity would be ideal.

This is a challenge in so many ways.  The citizens pollute their own community either by lack of knowledge, lack of care, or find it more profitable to do it anyway. The deposal of waste can be expensive for most people, especially large items such as appliances and construction debris.  There is also the rise in homelessness and reduction of income in many communities.  These challenges make it harder to legislate tougher fines and enforce laws already in place.

However, the community still needs to have clean water and not live with the risk of hazards illegal dumping causes, such as disease carrying rats, mosquitoes, and toxins that infect the area, water supplies, and spread to the whole community.

These concerns make it important to have an illegal dumping program that is effective and deters the problem.

Although fines are hard to impose, the alternative is making the whole community pay the costs of clean up, which could mean higher taxes or taking money from another resource that was meant to improve the lives of the citizens.  Fines are an important function of a successful illegal dumping program, but only if the laws are enforced.

A successful Illegal Dumping Program must include many departments working together.

Education

Social media, community engagements, and school activities are a great way to educate the community.

Legislation

Although tough fines can be controversial, they are needed, especially for commercial companies.

 Staff Resources

A dedicated staff to implement and direct the program is essential.

Tools

Having the suitable tools to stop illegal dumping is essential.  Prosecuting illegal dumping requires evidence to stand up in court.  Make sure the  illegal dumping enforcement cameras are designed specially to capture prosecutable images in complete darkness in remote areas.

Enforcement

To have a successful Illegal Dumping Program, enforcement needs to be a priority.

Is your city ready to implement a successful Illegal Dumping Program?

 

#noillegaldumping #stopillegaldumping #publicworks

Illegal Dumping and Increased Crime

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Illegal dumping is an unsightly scene. Fly dumping sites breed bacteria, lower home and business property values, and pose a danger to families living nearby. Did you know illegal dumping grounds also increase the crime to the affected community?

In some instances, the additional crime is more dumping such as abandoned trash, tires, and mattresses in a vacant lot. People assuming a few more tires or broken pieces of furniture added to the junkyard will not make much of a difference, thus adding to the fly dumping pile.

An essay on the effects of illegal dumping to Lawrence, PA states that one improperly disposed article can cause a “chain reaction” to your community in many harmful ways.

Amongst this “chain link” of fly dumping, is the attraction of illegal drugs and drug manufacturers. Harmful and highly dangerous narcotics are often the types of drugs that are drawn in by illegal dumping. Drug related articles found thrown into the garbage pile at the site are meth lab materials and heroin needles.

In addition to destroying community pride, fly dumping also attracts gatherings of rowdy people that behave in an unwanted manner. Disorderly teenagers often find illegal dumping sites to be “fun” hangout sites and sometimes take to vandalizing nearby homes and parks as part of their group activities.

So, what are communities to do to prevent this chain reaction? They cannot simply believe the perpetrators will suddenly stop fly dumping and clean up the litter. Communities must make an investment in an illegal dumping prevention program.

                                                 Create an Illegal Dumping Enforcement Program.

A Successful Illegal Dumping Enforcement Program involves many departments within the city.

  • Education: Educate the community about the hazards and the cost of illegal dumping.
  • Hotlines: Hotlines are a very useful tool when there are witnesses nearby.
  • Social Media Program: To ask the community to help identify perpetrators.
  • Legislation: Strict laws to combat illegal dumping.
  • Enforcement: Enforce, respond, investigate, and prosecute.
  • Staff Resources: Staff that is trained and dedicated to combat the illegal dumping problem.
  • Illegal Dumping Cameras– cameras specifically designed to provide prosecutable evidence in dark remote areas, where illegal dumping usually occurs.

Eliminate illegal dumping and create an Illegal Dumping Enforcement Program!