Melting snow reveals illegal dumping

Illegal dumping has been a nagging problem in Grand Falls-Windsor — and the melting snow has revealed some heavy-duty waste just outside the town's limits.

The town installed surveillance cameras over a year ago to deter people from dumping their trash on the side of the road.

Jeff Saunders, the town's director of engineering and works, said it's about trying to get people to be more responsible with their garbage.

"If cameras out act as deterrent, you know, we're not disappointed if we don't find somebody and convict somebody – that's not what we're looking for," he said.

"We're looking for people to change their ways, be educated, and dispose of their waste correctly."

Conception Bay South and Wabush have installed more cameras, and have had more success at catching people in the act.

Above and beyond

Saunders said he's considering expanding the area that the town will be responsible for because people have been going outside the limits to dump their trash.

"You've got the Salmon Interpretation Centre – I mean, that's a big tourist area," Saunders said.

"And there's places over there that sometimes, just off to the main road, you'll see some areas [with trash], so it makes sense for us to sort of take in that area, but how far do you take it? And that's the challenge."

Town employees recently met with the province's agency in charge of recycling to try and come up with a solution.