GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Twice in the past month, the city of Green Bay has paid the disposal fee for 20 to 30 tires that were illegally dumped at the Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary.
“It’s more of the time I think it takes us to then go out, we have to get them all picked up, haul them away, haul them to the waste site.”
James Anderson is with the Green Bay Parks Department.
“That all takes time away from our staff doing the things their role is supposed to be or should be doing.”
It also costs the police department time in having to investigate the crimes.
Green Bay Police Commander Kevin Warych says the city has an ordinance for illegal dumping that carries an $880 fine with it.
“We’re trying to put a message out to the community that one that is illegal and they could face a fine for illegal dumping and make sure we’re deploying our resources in that area at all times of the day to monitor that area to catch the people responsible for this.”
The dumping isn’t just at the wildlife sanctuary. City workers say snowmelt has also revealed bulk waste at other city parks.
“TVs, tires, just trash in general I guess,” said Anderson.
The parks department reports the amount of trash found after the snow melted this year is consistent with other years.
However, Warych says the number of tires found is up.
“It’s not just during the winter, but we’ll find garbage in a designated location where people may not be, so people dump a large amount of garbage and then leave.”
There are spots where you should be bringing the large items in your life that you no longer want.
“We want people to watch out for one another,” said Warych. “If they see somebody out in the community dumping this bulk waste, get a license plate number, report it to the police, and we’ll follow up on it.”
For example, tires should be brought to the Brown County Waste Transfer Station. The cost is $2.50 for every 20 pounds of tires you’re unloading.
