Marsh Lake dump is running out of room

Operators of a rural dump near Whitehorse are starting to track users who drop off their trash, aiming to draw the Yukon government's attention to a problem that's piling up. 

Marsh Lake residents say increased traffic from neighbouring communities is filling dump sites faster than planned.

Lydia Schier says the community dump has never looked worse.

"People come from all over Whitehorse because the other dump, they have to pay for it," she says. 

The Marsh Lake dump, 45 minutes south of Whitehorse, does not have tipping fees. 

Jean Kapala, president of the Marsh Lake Solid Waste Management Society, marvels how far people will drive to save a few dollars. 

"They come from Teslin, Atlin, Whitehorse. It's amazing," she says.

Kapala says the facility is filling up faster than planners intended.

"We're not going to make it to 10 years and that's the sad part for us because we are going to be full."

She says the government-owned facility is obliged to accept garbage from anybody who shows up.

"I mean as a community we are not happy but there's really not an answer right now."

Dump users are now being asked to fill a survey which asks where they're from and what they're dumping. Kapala hopes the survey will convince the Yukon government to address the problem.