VALDOSTA – Lowndes County officials say illegal dumping is growing out of hand, as piles of trash and discarded household items collect on public and private property.
What some people see as a harmless toss is a threat to local wildlife and waterways. It also affects the community, as cost of cleanup comes directly out of taxpayers’ pockets.
Lowndes County Public Information Officer Paige Dukes says illegal dumping not only has an impact on the economy, but on residents as well.
“Trash, furniture, appliances, things like that, but we also have a lot of roadside litter. Both of those things can affect development. They can affect how citizens feel about our community, and at the end of the day, it’s just ugly, so we need to focus on some cleanups.”
Lowndes County code enforcement is cracking down on illegal dumping, issuing citations and hefty fines. They have issued around 30 citations so far this year.
Code enforcement officials say many of the locations that have been issued citations are repeat dumping sites. These locations cannot be released due to active surveillance.
A citation for illegal dumping can result in a one-thousand dollar fine, or serving time in the Lowndes County Jail.
Code enforcement officials are encouraging a much cheaper alternative; taking trash to a landfill or paying for curbside trash pickup.
