Albany investigates illegal dumping to enforce fines

ALBANY, GA (WALB) - Your tax dollars are going down the drain if you live in Albany, because of people who continue to illegally dump trash on the side of the road.

City leaders in Albany say for those people who are refusing to put their garbage where it belongs then that’s exactly where your money’s going to go...in the trash.

“The name and address that we found just lives a couple of blocks away,”said Bowles.

That name and address was found on several pieces of mail at this illegal dump site Monday and has Albany Commissioner Jon Howard and Executive Director of Keep Albany-Dougherty Beautiful Judy Bowles not only asking why, but taking steps to fine the person responsible for trashing the Albany neighborhood.

“It’s just hard to understand why people load stuff up like this and dump it on the side of the road,” exclaimed Bowles.

But now every taxpayer in Albany will pay for the carelessly dump their garbage on the side of the road--in tax dollars as solid waste workers come to clean-up the mess.

“It’s going to cost all of us taxpayers money, we’ve had to pull them off of a job they were supposed to be doing to come over here,” explained Bowles.

For the five minutes spent cleaning up this mess, it cost roughly $40.

That is just for the weight of the garbage.

That number can begin to add up quickly if the trend continues.

“Take it to the landfill, you can take 250 lbs a day at no charge with a Dougherty County tag,” stated Bowles.

Code enforcement can fine up to $1,000 and issue community service, but for repeat offenders, you could be looking at jail time.

“It would be a lot simpler if they just abide by the regulations,” concluded Bowles.

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