Environmental Services Catches Illegal Dumpers
Written by Post Public Information Representative, May 17, 2010, 0 Comments
Courtesy Xochitl Mora,
Laredo, TX—Illegal dumpers beware: The City of Laredo is watching and they will catch you! Recently, the City of Laredo Environmental Services Department invested $12,000 to purchase some security surveillance camera equipment. Those cameras were placed at various undisclosed known dumping sites around town, and they have already payed off.
Multiple individuals were caught illegally dumping branches around town. One was fined $500; the other’s case is still pending to go to court. However, he possibly faces a fine anywhere from $500 to $2,000. Another case is still being investigated by the Laredo Police Department Environmental Division, as well.
“What’s ironic is that people can dump their branches at the City’s Landfill for free; the Solid Waste Services Department even picks up these items,” said Jerry Piña, Jr., Environmental Investigator with the City of Laredo Environmental Services Department, who, along with his partner, Mario Sepulveda, also an Environmental Investigator, who are fierce investigators in pursuing illegal dumpers.
“We are doing our best to try to deter this type of illegal activity. Not only is illegal dumping potentially harmful to our environment, but also, it kills the natural beauty of Laredo. With this new tool, we will have just one more way to try to catch people who refuse to follow the law and respect our community,” he concluded.
The cameras are located throughout the city where dumping is usually a problem. In its first few weeks, the department was able to catch multiple individuals. While Environmental Services expect the cameras will help them to catch more violators, they hope that the cameras will deter people from dumping in the first place.
Tax payers end up paying the brunt of the City of Laredo clean-up efforts at illegal dumping sites, as tax payers end up paying for the clean-up. City workers have to go out of their routine to go and remove debris from illegal dumpsites, and any tax dollars for projects that could have gone for beautification efforts are used for clean-up efforts instead.
For more information about the City of Laredo Environmental Services Department, call 794-1650. For more information about proper disposal of trash, call the City of Laredo Solid Waste Services Department at 795-2510. Visit the City of Laredo website at www.ci.laredo.tx.us or call 3-1-1 for more information about City of Laredo services.
