Illegal dump site covers 19 acres
Sussex County Councilman Rob Arlett knows the county has a trash problem, but he didn't know how bad it is until he toured a 19-acre illegal dumping ground March 10.
Located near Millville, the site contains every conceivable type of trash and debris from household garbage to contractor debris. There is evidence of recent dumping, and piles of old-burned trash as well.
“I was amazed, appalled, disgusted and disappointed,” the councilman said. He toured that site plus nine others in District 5 with two county constables.
“I doubt anyone knows how long it's been here,” he said. “It's the culture of kicking the can down the road and the culture of thinking it's not going away, so what's the point.”
Arlett said constables say there are dozens and dozens of illegal dump sites all over the county. He plans to tour the county by helicopter March 17 to get a better look.
He said constables went to the site because of a recent complaint. During their visit, a notice of complaint was given to two people living on the property in a shed without plumbing. He said the owner of the property is an elderly person living in Maryland.
“Besides the illegal dumping, there are all kinds of issues here,” he said.
The property owner has 30 days to respond to the complaint, when constables will return to continue their investigation.
While the county is responsible for trash on private property, other agencies will be involved in the investigation and eventual cleanup, including the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, and possibly even Delaware State Police, Delaware State Fire Marshal's Office and other county departments.
“It's complicated, but ultimately we want to get the site cleaned up,” Arlett said. “That may require legal action.”
He said if the property owner does not clean up the property, the county has the option to do the cleanup and place a lien on the property.
“If there is progress, the county does not go in with a heavy hammer. There is compassion and cooperation,” he said. “But legal action is always an option.”
Arlett said constables say the site may originally have been used to recycle limbs for mulch. “You could see piles of that, but you could see how it has changed to an illegal dump of household materials, and bags and bags of trash, and even burned piles,” he said.
Arlett said contractors' debris also has been dumped by dump trucks. “It got out of control,” he said.
The majority of the other sites he toured are getting cleaned up, and one is being pursued in court. One site contains dozens and dozens of tires, which are not considered trash and fall under the jurisdiction of DNREC.
Arlett said he is not pleased with the lack of action DNREC is taking on cleaning up discarded tires. “There is a recycling program that has funding, but it appears little is being done,” he said.
DNREC is also responsible for illegal trash that is not on private property.
Arlett wants DNREC officials to come to a future county council meeting and provide an update on its efforts to clean up trash and provide numbers of complaints and cases solved. “We need to know what they are doing,” he said. “Those who are responsible should be held accountable to do their jobs. That includes the county and our state partners. The inability to get results is not acceptable.”
The Delaware Department of Transportation is responsible for roadside trash cleanup and administers the statewide Adopt-a-Highway program.
Arlett wants to take action at the grassroots level and tackle the problem of roadside trash. He is working toward establishing one or two countywide cleanup days this year. “The community is at a point where their patience and tolerance is over. Now they want results and are willing to get involved,” he said. “We will stay on this and find solutions. We have a challenge.”
