WHITEWATER REGION — Garbage is being dumped along various roads in Whitewater Region Township, and it’s not making the municipality look nice.
“The Township is asking people to be Whitewater-Region-proud and stop dumping and littering on the roadsides of this beautiful community,” said Chief Administrative Officer Christine FitzSimons.
Recently, construction waste was dumped on Kerr Line near the Chenaux Road, she said.
Steve Hodson, Environmental Services manager for Whitewater Region, believes this waste was dumped because the person didn’t want to pay the tipping fee, which might have totalled $10. The other reason may have been because they went to the landfill site and it was closed, he added.
However, he’s only received a handful of complaints about the hours at the landfill site.
Mr. Hodson said while there’s no real hot-spot in the township to dump garbage, he admitted the back roads and rural roads get the brunt of it.
“Any back road or rural road, where there’s not many houses, people see it as a prime opportunity to dump their garbage,” he said.
It’s unfortunate, but “it happens all the time,” Mr. Hodson said.
While there’s no more than the usual amount of garbage being found along roadsides, he said as the snow begins to melt, the garbage dumped will be discovered.
Mr. Hodson said if anyone discovers garbage along the roads, picks it up and brings it to the landfill site, there is no fee.
CAO FitzSimons reminds residents Pitch-In Week is April 17 to 23. There will be free garbage bags available from the township office, as well as other locations to be determined, for anyone who is willing to clean-up roadside litter.
Pitch-In Week garbage bag drop-off will be located at the Westmeath municipal garage and the La Passe boat launch, she said, adding, there will be no charge for those people who bring their Pitch-In Week bags to the landfill site.
