Local resident sick of illegal dumping

Illegal dumping around Wilson Bridge over Charles Creek, less than a mile from the county’s fairgrounds convenience center, has one nearby resident up in arms, but so far unable to get any action from local officials on apprehending the culprits.

Ruchelle Steele, of Charles Creek Estates, says the dumping presents a public health issue, as some of the refuse regularly dumped in the area is made up of dead animals, medical waste, including syringes with needles, broken glass and even used prophylactics.

‘I’ve been living here in Warren County about seven or eight years now,’ Steele said. ‘And ever since I have lived out there that creek has been a dumping ground. People have put couches in there, dead cows, dogs. Now the county comes and they bring the inmates and they clean it up, but we have a garbage dump less than a mile down the road.’

County Executive John Pelham says the county is aware of the problem, and in fact, has actually prosecuted at least one individual for criminal littering, and says once an environmental officer is hired, prosecuting these offenders will be one of their main duties. Pelham also says the county is working to hire an environmental officer to handle these situations.

‘First of all, I would say to her and to anyone else, that I understand their discouragement,’ Pelham said. ‘That is so discouraging to me. But there is some work going on, though not everyone may know about it. This is a perfect example of why we need the environment officer position, and why we’re working so hard to get this done.’

Pelham said over the years, county constables have helped with this, but having a full-time officer will make it easier to police.

‘Since I have been in office we haven’t had a conviction on the Old Smithville Highway area,’ Pelham said. ‘But on Harrison Ferry we were able to prosecute a lady. We took her to court for criminal littering, and we won. It was a $500 fine.

‘And let it be known, if we can find out who the people are that are doing this,’ Pelham said, ‘we will prosecute them to the full extent of the law.’

Sanitation Department director Steve Hillis dispatched a cleanup crew yesterday to handle the household waste, but noted that dead animals dumped along county roads are handled by the Highway Department, but he would report it and it would be picked up as soon as possible.

Hillis agreed Wilson Bridge over Charles Creek has been a problem area for some time, and noted that these situations are one of the main reasons the county is working to establish an environmental officer position.

‘We’ve always had a problem out there at that Charles Creek bridge,’ Hillis said, noting that the county, through Road Superintendent Harold Glenn, had made an effort to minimize the dumping.

‘Harold Glenn did go up and put some barriers around there so it wouldn’t go in the creek,’ Hillis said. ‘And of course we’ll go up there and try to clean that up,’ Hillis added. ‘We’ve got a litter crew that does that.’

But Hillis says it’s important to have someone specifically assigned to investigate these incidents, since county law enforcement doesn’t have the manpower to investigate the widespread illegal dumping going on all over the county.

‘This is one thing that we’ve talked about at our meetings about getting a codes man,’ Hillis said. ‘If we do get one, then to let him enforce that and look for hot spots like that and keep an eye on it. If somebody’s doing that, they just continuously do it.’

Steele says she is appalled at some local residents’ total disregard for the environment.

‘Why these people here in Warren County are doing this I don’t know,’ Steele said. ‘But it’s an eyesore.’

Steele says it’s probably going to continue until there is some sort of investigation and someone is apprehended and fined or punished in some manner.

‘If somebody would just go out there and look through that garbage and prosecute one person, make an example, I guarantee you it would stop,’ Steele said, noting it literally breaks her heart to see the area littered with refuse.

‘I love to walk, and when it’s cleaned up it is the most beautiful place,’ Steele said. ‘I’ve seen kids down there playing, swimming in the summer. It’s the most beautiful place here in Warren County. I don’t think anybody realizes how pretty it is. But some people aren’t honoring it, they’re making it a dumping ground.

‘Right now there’s two deer carcasses down there, where somebody has slaughtered a deer,’ Steele said. ‘And there’s five or six bags of garbage, and it’s strewn up and down the road for a mile.’

Steele says she is frustrated nothing has been done to find a permanent solution.

‘Like I said, ever since I’ve lived here in this county, it’s been this issue,’ Steele said. ‘And nobody has done anything about it. A cleanup job is all that’s done, but nobody’s been prosecuted. I think it needs to be made a public example, or made public so people are made aware of it. It’s becoming a really bad issue. It’s worse than I’ve ever seen it. Something needs to be done.’