RIVERVIEW, N.B. – Riverview residents are disgusted by garbage they’re finding along secluded roads in their town.
Adam Smith said he is afraid to walk his dog in the wooded area behind his home, fearing he might cut his feet.
“Just stuff everywhere, garbage it’s awful,” he said. “It is such a beautiful place to go, bring the kids, walk the dog, you know and it’s just unfortunate that people are dumping all that garbage back there.”
From household garbage and construction debris to hazardous waste, Colin Smith from the Town of Riverview says it’s all turning up on back roads.
He says illegal dumping is a growing problem in the town.
“It goes from small household waste to commercial waste to some people bringing up appliances and things like that,” he said.
Smith says some people are even dumping hazardous waste like paint and solvents on town land, dangerous materials that town employees have to clean up.
“It is to the point that we are picking up garbage about three times a week to take it to the landfill site.”
The town has enlisted the help of the Codiac RCMP to try and catch illegal dumpers.
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Cst. Mark Janes says it’s a serious crime.
“It falls under the environmental act so the seriousness of the crime – prison probably not, but some kind of fine,” he said.
An individual caught dumping illegally can face a fine of up to $50,000. A group or a company could face up to $1-million.
In hopes of catching people, the town has set up surveillance cameras along the perimeter of a preferred dumping site along Runnymeade road. Smith says the cameras were set up about a month ago and have already capture some images.
“Any of the evidence we have seen with the camera we have passed on to the RCMP,” he said.
RCMP won’t say what they’ve found, only that the investigation is ongoing.
“If you see vehicles in that area then please come forward and let us know,” said Cst. Janes.
Smith says it’s not only an eyesore, the garbage is a danger to the environment, the public, and the town employees who have to clean up the mess.
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