“No Dumping” signs and fines of up to $30,000 haven?t dissuaded people from depositing about 3,200 tons of trash along county roads in Prince George?s, according to a spokeswoman for the county?s Department of Public Works and Transportation.
“It?s easier [to leave trash along roads] and people can be lazy or they just don?t care,” Susan Hubbard said. “We?re trying to re-instill a pride in the home area.”
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The cost of the cleanup to taxpayers, Hubbard said, is hard to pin down because the budget also includes tree removal and other road crew work. Hubbard said crews have a periodic rotating schedule under which they visit roads in Bowie, Fort Washington, Melwood, Palmer Park, Upper Marlboro and other parts of the county. Hubbard said “No Dumping” signs with information about fines also have been posted in trouble spots.
Cleanup calls often come from residents who alert the department to an illegal dumping, Hubbard said. One truck recently discarded an entire load of copying machines.
“The truck just stopped, dumped them out and went on their merry way,” Hubbard said. “People can be very sneaky or people can be very brazen about the dumping.”
A spokesman with the Prince George?s County Police Department said the number of citations issued by police for illegal dumping was not available Tuesday.
