Illegal dump project cleans up over six tons of refuse

June 13, 2006
For immediate release
For more information contact:
Josh Hester or Nongluk Tunyavanich, (573) 265-2993

ILLEGAL DUMPING CLEAN UP PROJECT REMOVES OVER SIX TONS OF REFUSE FROM ILLEGAL DUMP ON JAKES PRAIRIE ROAD NEAR CUBA

CUBA—The combined efforts of volunteers and local agencies have led to the removal of 13,020 pounds of refuse from an illegal dumpsite along Jakes Prairie Road near Cuba. The effort, accomplished by local volunteers, was funded through a grant from Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District and coordinated by the Meramec Regional Planning Commission.

Paul Shasserre and his crew from the Crawford County Road Department began the cleanup efforts on March 31, removing items too large to be moved by hand from the site prior to the volunteer clean-up day. That day, the road department removed some 2,380 pounds of discarded household items and furniture.

On May 27, a total of 13 landowners, county elected officials and employees from the Crawford County Road Department, Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the Meramec Regional Planning Commission converged on the site, filling 30 55-gallon trash bags, and piling up metal, wood, asphalt shingles and a pair of tires to complete the site cleanup. The shingles added significantly to the weight of the material removed. The county road department hauled the refuse to the Prairie Valley landfill. The tires were sent to a recycling facility.

Those assisting with the May 27 cleanup were Ed Mitchell, Crawford County Commissioner; Paul Shasserre, Crawford County Road Department; Connie Smith, Crawford County Clerk; Sheila Ringeisen, Crawford County Collector; Caren and Frank Meade, Larry and Marie Dearing, Ed Smith and Debbie Shasserre, all landowners; Beth Marsala , Bruce Volner, of Missouri DNR; and Nongluk Tunyavanich, of MRPC.

The Wal-Mart Distribution Center in St. James provided rakes, trash bags and bottled water for the event. Disposal costs are covered by grant funds.

“I really appreciate MRPC and the grant that funds the program,” said Ed Mitchell, Crawford County District Two associate commissioner. “It allows us to clean up an area that needs us. It is a burden to the county to have to pay for hauling off the refuse, and it has made an improvement in that area. I really think that is a great program for the counties and it allows them to make some improvements.”

The Jakes Prairie Road site was the first illegal dump cleaned through the project in Crawford County. This is the 18th illegal dump cleanup coordinated by MRPC.

“This is the first step in the process,” said Tunyavanich, MRPC environmental programs specialist, who coordinated the project. “The county has expressed interest in cleaning two more sites, but will probably wait until the fall.

“I would just like to thank all of the volunteers that gave up their time over the Memorial Day weekend to come out and help,” she continued. “None of this could be accomplished without the help, willingness and concern of our volunteers.”

Once the dumpsite is cleared, the area will be continuously monitored to insure that dumping does not return to the area. MRPC also worked to educate the area’s residents about the cost of illegal dumping and solicited their help in monitoring the sites. For Crawford County the project started with an educational meeting on illegal dumping sponsored by the Crawford County Commission and MRPC on March 21.

To date, MRPC has coordinated 18 illegal dump cleanups, removing over 400 tons of trash and recyclable metals and nearly 1,300 tires. All of the dump sites have been on public land, usually county road right-of-ways, according to Tunyanavich. With the property owner’s permission, volunteers also clean up dumped materials that overflow onto private property.

Besides being aesthetically unpleasing, illegal dumping lowers property values and poses an unsanitary risk to residents living near a dumpsite. The Missouri Department of Transportation spends more than $6 million every year to pick up litter and county governments spend thousands as well. MRPC staff is currently working with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, county sheriffs, prosecuting attorneys and judges to catch and prosecute illegal dumpers in the Ozark Rivers district. MRPC also maintains a hotline to report illegal dumping.

To report an illegal dump, you may call 1-800-NO2-DUMP (1-800-662-3867), or call your county commissioner or sheriff. A waste disposal guide for the Ozark Rivers district is available at city halls or utility offices in every city in the district. This guide points residents to businesses who accept hard-to-dispose-of items, including refrigerators, tires and motor oil. The guide is also available on MRPC’s website at www.meramecregion.org.

For more information on the MRPC, ORSWMD or the illegal dump cleanup program, please contact Nongluk Tunyavanich or Tammy Snodgrass at (573) 265-2993.

Volunteers took the lead in cleaning up an illegal dumpsite along Jakes Prairie Road near Cuba on May 27. When the work day was over, volunteers had moved over six tons of illegal refuse by hand and machine.