Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, May 5, 1994 TAG: 9405050177
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By ADRIENNE PETTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Ray Wells of Moneta has adjusted the way he packs his trash bags because of overflowing bins, which hold up to 8 cubic yards of waste.
"I learned not to make the bags so heavy, so there's no trouble heaving them up."
Many residents complain that the 74 dump sites have increasingly become eyesores to their communities.
Beginning Friday, the county will crack down on illegal commercial dumping throughout the county by patrolling the dump sites regularly and issuing summons to violators, requiring a district court appearance.
"We're not out to punish anybody," said Claude Webster, director of public safety. "The point is to get the message across that this is not the thing to do."
Public safety officers will patrol the sites, said John Crook, the county's solid-waste manager.
Some of the most flagrant offenders, Webster said, are small businesses and contractors from neighboring counties, driven by landfill closings or increased tipping fees to seek cheaper alternatives.
For instance, the tipping fee in Bedford County recently went from $44 to $61 a ton.
Also, Martinsville and Henry County share a landfill because Henry County's closed recently, said Tommy Oakley, manager of the joint landfill.
Oakley added that, starting July 1, the city and county will increase the dumping fee to $28.30 a ton. Residents and businesses now pay based on the size of the vehicle in which they deliver their waste.
Franklin County has a $28-a-ton tipping fee.
Martha Wells of Moneta applauds the county for cracking down on offenders. She said she just hopes they don't stop people from dumping furniture and other household discards at the sites.
"That's the Franklin County Kmart," she said.
by CNB