Talking trash

It's been a while since my last blog and with people taking advantage of the warmer temperatures to wander outside for some spring yard work, I thought I would take some time to talk a little trash.

No, not the usual trash talk that we are so used to hearing from sports enthusiast or some bloggers with whom we might not see eye-to-eye. But the real down home, old time, side of the road, in the ditches trash talk.

It seems there are some people who find themselves with extra trash and feel the need to share it with their neighbors.

There has been a rising amount of trash, or litter, if you will, being dumped on vacant lots and wooded or overgrown properties throughout our communities.

Just some FYI in case you weren't aware, littering in the State of Indiana is illegal and carries up to $1,000 fine for each offense.

According to Indiana Code. 35-45-3-2: (a) A person who recklessly, knowingly, or intentionally places or leaves refuse on property of another person, except in a container provided for refuse, commits littering, a Class B infraction.

However, the offense is a Class A infraction if the refuse is placed or left in, on, or within one hundred (100) feet of a body of water that is under the jurisdiction of the:
(1) department of natural resources; or
(2) United States Army Corps of Engineers.

A judgment of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) shall be imposed for each infraction committed under these sections.

(b) Refuse includes solid and semi-solid wastes, dead animals and offal. OFFAL (Defined): those parts of a meat animal that are used as food.

(c) Evidence that littering was committed from a moving vehicle other than a public conveyance constitutes prima facie evidence that it was committed by the operator of that vehicle.

(Definition): This means the operator of the vehicle is responsible for anything thrown from his/her vehicle and can be cited for items thrown out by any other occupant of their vehicle.

Many people wander if anything is done about littering.

Recently, local law enforcement officers located several citizens who decided to dump their trash and debris along the old railroad grade on the south end of town and a few more in the area behind a local government housing facilities. These individuals were fined and ordered to clean up the trash and debris.

I guess most people think, it's only a piece of paper or one Styrofoam cup, what difference will just one item make, or who will even notice it?

The fact is, you would notice it if someone threw trash out in your front yard and you had to go out every morning and clean it up.

However, the larger problem is it's never just one piece of paper. It's combined with the one piece of paper that the other 50 people or so who were just walking or driving by decided to throw out. So now it's 50 pieces of paper, but wait, now it's not just paper, but it's also those used diapers discarded along with half-eaten sandwiches and empty fast food bags filled with sandwich wrappers and that combines with the contents of several overflowing ashtrays from vehicles (Well, if we're going to throw the bag out anyway, fill it up and make it count right?)

Ever shopped at our local Kroger store after midnight? If so, you would see almost nightly that their parking lot is covered with trash and debris from where groups of individuals gathered there to talk and visit.

The property owners are forced to hire a cleaning company to come vacuum their parking lot in the early morning hours so their customers don't have to wade through trash to shop.

The cost of having to do this every day has to come from somewhere, can you guess where?

As a police officer, I drive the streets and alleys throughout the city and noticed there is hardly a block you pass where you don't see trash either in the yard or along the roadway.

That's not the only places trash finds a resting place.

The Brazil Park employees have placed trash receptacles throughout Forest Park, but the park employees pick up at least a lawn bag of trash each day. People are just too lazy to walk 50 feet to put something in the trash can, instead, they will leave it on a picnic table so the wind will blow it across the grounds or they just throw it on the ground themselves and walk away. This kind of behavior cost employee man hours that could be used other places.

Although very costly to the community, littering is practically ignored by most people. Most people will just walk right by trash on the ground without spending the effort to bend over and pick it up to take it to a trash can. After all, it's not their job to pick up the trash, right?

However, if someone dumps a pile of trash on property that does not belong to them, citizens demand an arrest be made.

OK, I don't have a problem with arresting someone for illegal dumping. After all, Open Dumping as it is called in state statute is a class D Felony if you are caught (IC 13-30-2).

There is a grey line between littering and Open Dumping. What exactly is the difference?

Open Dumping is the disposal of larger quantities of waste (versus litter which is generally only a few small items as discussed earlier) in an un-permitted area.

According to Indiana Code, the difference is as follows:

Open Dumping, is also referred to as, fly dumping, and midnight dumping because materials are often dumped in open areas just out of public view and sometimes under the cover of darkness. Illegally dumped waste is material that is usually dumped to avoid either disposal fees or to avoid the investment of the time and effort required to properly dispose of it.

Wastes such as scrap tires, bulky items, and yard waste are usually dumped illegally because these items are banned from landfills, cannot be burned or their proper management can be costly. Residential and commercial wastes may be illegally dumped in areas that either have a lack of, or have costly pickup service.

Sites used for illegal dumping vary but may include abandoned industrial sites, residential or commercial buildings; vacant lots on public or private property; and infrequently used alleys or roadways. Because of their accessibility and lack of lighting, also areas along rural roadways, railways and abandoned strip mines are particularly vulnerable. Illegal dumping can occur at any time of day but is more common at night or in the early morning hours when there is a lesser likelihood of someone being seen.

If the community ignores the problem, illegal dumps often attract more waste, potentially including hazardous wastes such as asbestos, household chemicals and paints, automotive fluids and commercial or industrial wastes.

All of the problems caused by littering, are, of course, magnified when it comes to illegal dumping. Additionally, illegal dumping causes significant heath and safety problems.

Areas used for illegal dumping may be easily accessible to people, especially children, who are vulnerable to the physical (nails sticking out, sharp edges) and chemical (harmful fluids or dust) hazards posed by wastes.

Rodents, insects, and other vermin attracted to dump sites may also pose health risks.

Dumpsites with scrap tires are an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes, which can multiply 100-times faster than normal in the warm stagnant water that collects within tires. Disease-carrying mosquitoes originating from scrap tire piles have reportedly caused severe illnesses.

Open dumpsites can also interfere with proper drainage or run-off, making areas more likely to have flooding when wastes block ravines, creeks, culverts, and drainage basins.

Runoff from dumpsites containing chemicals may contaminate wells and surface water used as sources of drinking water.

Dumpsites also serve as magnets for additional dumping and other criminal activities. As a result of illegal dumping, property values decrease, and the community becomes unattractive to further home and business development.

So we see that this is not a problem that just popped up, but is an ongoing one that citizens as well as law enforcement have to join together to solve. We have to take a stand and start taking more responsibility for our neighborhoods and ourselves.

We can start by educating our children and focusing on becoming better roll models as adults. It may take a little effort on our behalf, but if we all get involved, and talk to others about getting involved, we can clean up our community and create a healthier environment for our future generations.

Don't just complain about the trash problem, do something about it. Become a part of the solution.