The program is based on the Town of Conception Bay South’s successful enforcement and surveillance program and will provide municipalities with the tools, support and training necessary to implement effective illegal dumping surveillance and enforcement programs within their own communities.
Councillors with municipalities in the Bay St. George area have been talking about the problems with illegal dumping on remote roads within and near municipalities.
Last year, officials in Kippens were faced with the remains of a patio dumped on the side of Gaudon’s Lane in the town and Stephenville councillors have identified a number of areas where debris has been thrown.
Although indiscriminate dumping has been taking place for many years, it seems to have elevated to an even higher level now that many local dumps have closed and regional waste facilities are operating.
To try and combat some of the indiscriminate dumping, the Town of Stephenville put a collection of large items system in place whereby each Friday such items would be picked up when the town is notified.
Currently, with winter weather on the go, that program has been curtailed but will start up once again when conditions permit. Such measures should help prevent people from dumping where they shouldn’t.
The Illegal Dumping Surveillance program is a project of the Multi-Materials Stewardship Board and will provide up to seven communities throughout the province with enforcement training and education, surveillance equipment and installation.
The goal of the program is to establish a team of illegal dumping experts and build increased capacity to deal with illegal dumping throughout the province.
The Multi-Materials Stewardship Board is investing $65,000 in the program.
Catching people in the act of indiscriminate dumping, levying large fines and making this all public will probably be the only way to seriously curb some of these actions and preventing some side roads from becoming dumpsites.
Double cheers, I have said the same thing in at least one of these dumping articles. Pick the stuff up and people will not dump it in the woods. Good for you Stephenville, there is at least one town that has common sense solutions. Now we just need some common sense type people on Corner Brook's council.