The Carbon County Sheriff’s Office first notified the public via their Facebook page of the numerous complaints they had been receiving regarding illegal dumping in business dumpsters, as well as out on the backcountry off Airport Road.

Sheriff Jeff Wood used his weekly update to further address the issue, “The problems we have encounter from a law enforcement is, if you are a contractor or business you may a different fee for your dumpster. Contractors have to pay theirs by the ton and it’s $20.00 a ton, so if you are dumping your trash in their dumpster they are actually paying for you and that’s not really fair.” Many merchants have seen a substantial jump in their monthly bills, plus a visual increase of personal, household garbage inside their dumpsters.

Not only are businesses being effected, but also throughout the backroads on the ATV/UTV trails located around Airport Road. “So, the Sheriff’s Office is going to get very aggressive against that, we’ve investigated these in the past and in the past we have made people clean up their mess, plus another one and that’s what we’ve done, but it’s become a real problem up in that area,” said Wood. “We’re going to start looking into it to see if we can find who is doing it and you will be charged if you get caught for dumping up there and don’t think that you can get away with it, because it is possible to figure out who did it. There just might be surveillance up there, you never know it.” The sheriff has also requested assistance from community members to report any illegal dumping to law enforcement officials.

Wood plans to meet with County Commissioners, who first imposed the usage rate on April 1, about a possible resolution in the matter by installing a courtesy bin at the entrance of the landfill when it is after business hours.

Community members that would like to know the reasoning of imposing a usage rate for the landfill services may contact the County Commissioners to get more information.