GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. — Lorelei Elkins has a nice government office in Guilford County, but she spends most of her time driving around. Elkins is a Community Environmental Program Specialist with the county’s solid waste department.
“Illegal dumping is an epidemic in Guilford County,” Elkins said.
There is no way to put an official number on all the sites because they can pop up so fast, but Elkins said there are hundreds of them in the county.
As an enforcement officer, Elkins is responsible for responding to complaints and any known dumping site. She covers 465 square miles.
“It’s a big area, so we mostly rely on complaints from nearby residents,” Elkins said.
Many of the illegal dumping sites are on private property. The landowner is often unaware that people are using the land to throw away garbage, old furniture, tires, or other items.
In most of those cases, the home is empty making it easy for someone to dump something without being caught or the land is empty but unsecured.
“If we can’t identify who did the dumping the homeowner is responsible to clean it up,” Elkins said.
When Elkins responds to a dump site, she may spend a couple of hours going through the garbage to see if she can find any clues as to who did the dumping.
“We have in the past been able to get addresses off boxes or envelopes. Using that evidence, we have been able to find out who did the dumping,” Elkins said.
Violators can be fined up to $1,000 and are responsible to clean up the mess or pay to have it removed.
The biggest concern about the illegal dumping sites is the impact it has on the community and the wildlife. These dumping sites often attract rodents and other animals. Nearby creeks and rivers could also be adversely affected if toxins or other liquids get into the water.
“We have a responsibility to the citizens of Guilford County for their health and well-being. (Also) watershed protection and environmental protection as well,” Elkins said.
If the dump site is on public land, it will have to be cleaned up by the local city or town and can cost thousands and thousands of dollars. Those taxpayer dollars could certainly be put to better use.
Elkins and the county encourages anyone to notify them if they come across an illegal dump site and to alert them if they know who did the dumping.
The problem is not going to go away soon, but Elkins hopes the community will come together and collectively speak up if they see someone dumping debris or garbage or whatever on private property or public land.