An illegal dump site near Nicholson was the scene of a huge clean-up by volunteers, Wildsight and the Columbia Shuswap Regional District (CSRD).
Ben Van Nostrand, Waste Management Co-ordinator with the CSRD, was at the site and working as part of the clean-up. The CSRD had received a number of complaints about the site and felt it was necessary to remove it and post it as a “no dumping” zone.
“We track complaints about illegal dumps. We prioritize those through the CSRD. This one ranked pretty high on our list so we got a group of local volunteers out to clean it up,” he said.
After the clean-up was complete, Van Nostrand said there would be signs posted at the site and the conservation office would be informed to keep an eye on it.
“A lot of these sites start with a pickup load of debris and it appears to be a dumping site. Then it grows,” he said.
One of the frustrating things Van Nostrand saw at the site was the amount of yard and garden waste which could be taken to the proper land fill during certain times of the year.
He also gave high praise to the volunteers who came out to take part in the clean-up. Some of the people who took time from their busy lives to remove the junk were comprised of a potter/entrepreneur, a physician, two hospital workers (one of whom just moved to Golden a few weeks ago), a teacher, a retired teacher, and a mountain guide.
“Without them the site won’t get cleaned up. It also helps in how much money we have to spend. Volunteers are great and save us money on labourers or equipment,” he said.
Though the area was filled with a great deal of waste the volunteers were in high spirits and were working very hard to clean up the site.
Approximately two tons of garbage was taken to the landfill.
Numerous truckloads to the dump included treated wood, rail road ties, a culvert, plastics, car tires and cement.
Van Nostrand hopes that anyone who witnesses illegal dumping will call the Report All Poachers and Polluters (RAPP line) at 1-877-952-7277.
