Illegal dumping causing major problems in Detroit neighborhood
(CBS DETROIT) - Spring is the time for spring cleaning and for many, that means throwing away a lot of old items. However, some people are throwing away their trash illegally by dumping it in a North End neighborhood.
In some parts of the neighborhood, it looks like a city dump, simply because people are treating it that way.
"You can't even give a barbecue back there because it's so messy," said Markeette House who lives in the area. "You don't know if the rats or something going to come out."
From small trash to large piles of garbage, construction debris, and household items that people got rid of, it's mounting into a big problem for this neighborhood.
House said she has been living in the area for 17 years and she is tired of people tearing up the place she calls home. She believes one of the reasons this area is a magnate for illegal dumping is that there are several abandoned homes and buildings located there.
"They figure since nobody don't live there, just dump it," said House. "We got to come out of our houses and look at it."
The City of Detroit has a robust garbage collection service.
Doug Collins, Superintendent of Solid Waste for the Detroit Department of Public Works says his department picks up bulk items like old furniture, hot water tanks, mattresses, and appliances.
But in some of the bags in House's neighborhood, there are shingles from someone's roof. That's considered construction debris, and that's something the city would not pick up.
Collins advised that fines for illegal dumping start at $1,000 and goes up from there. He suggests people call the Department of Public Works at 313-876-0004 to schedule a pickup for construction debris. He said DPW prices are inexpensive compared to waste disposal companies.
If you want to report more on this issue, contact our AJ Walker.
