Moncton resident calls for end to illegal dumping in east end
Mark Atkinson says he’s sick of watching construction workers clean out trucks at end of his street
A resident of Moncton's east end is calling on the city to enforce its bylaws to stop contractors from dumping construction waste, particularly concrete, on the outskirts of his neighbourhood.
For nearly two years, Mark Atkinson has been taking photographs of workers rinsing out their concrete and asphalt trucks steps from his home at the end of Glengrove Road.
"Their workers will take garden hoses and they'll rinse out their cement chutes and it'll run down into the ditch," he said.
The washed residue from the trucks either absorbs into the ground and hardens, or mixes with rainwater creating grey puddles, said Atkinson.
He has photographs of puddles and small piles of hardened concrete as well as asphalt left behind by the trucks.
"It was actually a lot worse last summer ... the liquid stuff that didn't solidify is obviously absorbed into the ground. So where's that going and what's it doing?"
Atkinson said he is concerned the slurry could be polluting the top soil.
Conrad Landry, Moncton's director of community safety, said the city's bylaw office is aware of the situation and an investigation is ongoing.
Landry said the city receives two to three complaints about dumping every year.
"We do have an active file on that specific location," he said. "It is not legal to dump asphalt or cement on public land."
Landry would not comment further on the investigation in the Grove Hamlet area, but said in any case the first step is to talk to the party at fault and ask them to comply, if a bylaw infraction is identified.
If the failure to comply continues, they are sent a registered letter indicating a timeline to abide by, and the last step would be to issue a fine, he said.
"It goes from $200 to $2,000, until the issue is resolved."
Landry said illegal dumping could be motivated by a variety of reasons such as saving costs and travel.
Phyllis Allain, interim president of the Construction Association of New Brunswick-Moncton Northeast, said she is "not aware of any illegal dumping of concrete or asphalt on public properties," in an email.
Landry said in situations where there is an environmental impact, the Department of Environment is contacted.
A press release from the Province of New Brunswick states that fines for illegal dumping in undesirable locations "range from $500 to $20,500 for individuals, and from $1,000 to $1 million for a company."
Landry said there is no specific length for these investigations as the size of debris can vary, but the responsibility to clean lies on the party at fault.
Landry advised residents to contact the City of Moncton Bylaw Department if they notice any dumping, along with pictures or videos for evidence.
Atkinson said he has requested the city erect no dumping signs at the end of Glengrove Road and other streets in the neighbourhood.
"I am not against building, I am not against anything like that. Just clean up your mess when you leave," he said. "I don't think that is a lot to ask for."
"There's landfills and there is proper places to do this," said Atkinson. "Living at the end of a residential street it shouldn't be a dump area."
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