The recent illegal dumping of an old camper above Ellison has irked outdoor enthusiasts, sent Regional District of the Central Okanagan staff scurrying to deal with it and has a community minded business kicking in resources to get it gone.
All because of one individuals’ thoughtless disregard for our environment, according to regional waste reduction facilitator Rae Stewart.
Stewart said their office only recently learned of the abandoned camper on Postill Lake Road above Ellison through a forum about it on the internet.
“It’s a beautiful wilderness corridor that’s heavily frequented by outdoor groups and nature enthusiasts, so for someone to sully it with their garbage is a real travesty. And the longer the camper sits there, the worse the problem becomes. Unfortunately, garbage begets more garbage. Some people see a pile and think they can just add to it,” Stewart said.
Stewarts added her thanks to the generous support of Mario’s Towing in Kelowna as the abandoned camper will be hauled to the Glenmore landfill and disposed of properly later this week.
“Mario’s is offering their services for the day, and we hugely appreciate their support. This kind of removal job will require heavy equipment, and plenty of manpower to get it gone. It’s just so frustrating that such a careless act has led to this,” she said.
According to Stewart, illegal dumping is sadly all too common and can take many different forms, an abandoned vehicle, bush party leftovers, even someone inappropriately dumping yard waste.
“In every case, something’s being dumped where it doesn’t belong. Not only is it an ugly blight on nature, but the mess left behind can also create wildfire and other environmental hazards, not to mention endangering wildlife. Plus it’s immensely costly to clean up, most often at tax payer’s expense,” she said.
With the help of the general public, the waste reduction office has tracked illegal dump sites over the past decade, and the results are discouraging, with many new sites popping up every year after the snow melts, noted Stewart. “There are definitely a number of hot spots in our region that get hit by chronic dumping and require regular clean up.
“When you consider the time and gas it takes to drive out into the bush as well as vehicle wear and tear, illegal dumping is completely senseless. We have many options in our community for the proper disposal of waste, many of which are low cost and some are free.”
Stewart said their is a process to allow the public to fight back against illegal dumping. Start by filling in an online report form at: www.regionaldistrict.com/reportillegaldumping or call the Regional Waste Reduction Office at 250-469-6250. Be sure to include:
• a detailed description of the area (or GPS coordinates) for the illegal dump site
• the size of the dump site
• the type of items that were dumped
• nformation on how we can contact you (all information will remain confidential)
The Regional Waste Reduction Office will supply any groups interested in cleaning up their community with bags and gloves to support their efforts, and will arrange for the collection and disposal of the garbage collected.
