Refuse in the creeks and steams of Hopkins County has become a severe problem throughout rural Hopkins County.
"This Trash Is No Man's
Treasure!"
by: Bobby McDonald
The fellowship hall at Posey Baptist Church was the site of a community awareness meeting for residents
of the Posey and Peerless communities, who learned about preventing illegal dumping.
Dumping trash in the county road ditches and in creeks and streams throughout the county has become a major problem and citizens in the Peerless and Posey communities gathered in the fellowship hall of the Posey Baptist Church to take action and learn about solving the problems in their communities, on Thursday night. Speakers for the session included County Waste Management Officers Jerry Pierce and Holly Rosamond, County Agricultural Agent Larry Spradlin, and Precinct 4 County Commissioner Danny Evans.
Concerned citizens from Peerless and Posey met to learn what they could do to prevent illegal dumping
in their neighborhoods.
The meeting was opened with a power-point presentation by Pierce, who outlined the many things that we all hold dear in our communities and the things that are worth preserving. He then presented at program entitled "Trash," that outlined action that local citizens could take in helping to solve the problems of illegal dumping in their neighborhoods. "If you want to see what the refuse looks like from the northern part of Hopkins County, all you have to do is travel to the eastern part of Hopkins County and look at a large mound of trash in White Oak Creek, near where the creek crosses FM-900," stated Pierce. "You can see where the trash has been trapped in a log-jam and built to almost insurmountable levels. This is what happens when people dump refuse in our creeks and streams and don't dispose of their trash properly!"
Waste Disposal Officer, Jerry Pierce, explains the things that residents can do to become involved in
preventing illegal dumping in their communities, while Sally and Jason Cunningham listen attentively.
Pierce advised the residents of Peerless and Posey that the average person has some 7.1 pounds of trash per week and all of it must be disposed properly to protect Hopkins County. Then, he offered the following tips for residents:
1. Become a community that is concerned and interested in becoming involved.
2. Observe activity in your community and not when someone who is dumping
illegally is found.
3. Record the license plate numbers of those caught dumping illegally.
4. Report illegal dumping to the proper authorities.
5. Get involved.
6. Help protect our environment.
Pierce also advised residents that all citizens are responsible for their waste and refuse until it is properly disposed in a proper landfill. "You're responsible and should be made aware that if those who are disposing of it for you don't dispose of it properly, you can still be held liable," continued Pierce. "We try to go through illegally disposed waste and identify who is the owner of the trash! And, the crime can be punished in J.P. Court!"
Holly Rosamond, Waste Disposal Enforcement Officer, fields questions and explains the information she
needs to prosecute those who are illegally dumping across the county.
Holly Rosamond, the newest member of the county waste disposal team, came on board three months ago and is readily available to investigate reports of illegal dumping in the county, as an enforcement officer. "We work to catch those who illegally dump and are planning to implement an education program in the school systems called 'Stop Dumping - It's the Right Thing To Do!' and will be working to educate the youth of the county," explained Rosamond. "We must wait for the funding to implement the program in the local school systems."
This is a typical scene in the creeks and streams throughout Hopkins
County, where residents are dumping refuse illegally.
Commissioner Danny Evans advised that all anyone had to do to see what a problem existed with illegal dumping was to travel down a remote country road and look beneath the bridges and in the streams. "You'll find broken furniture, discarded appliances, dead animals, household garbage, old tires, batteries, and a variety of other refuse," stated Evans. "This waste ties-up county employees and equipment to remove the trash, when they could be working at maintaining roads!"
Precinct 4 Commissioner Danny Evans addressed the group about the growing problem of illegal
dumping in his area of the county and outlined two days of a Clean-Up Campaign for residents of
Precinct 4, to be held on July 21 & 22.
Evans announced that there would be a Hopkins County Precinct 4 Cleanup Campaign, held on Friday, July 21st, from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and continue from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., on Saturday, July 22nd. "We'll host a collection station at the County Yard, located 1.5 miles south of Ridgeway, on Fm-2653," advised Evans. "There will be a disposal charge of $5.00 for each load of trash, brought to the site. And, there will be an additional charge of $5.00 each for tires over 20'', as well as a restriction on accepting no hazardous materials or commercial dumping."
An old refrigerator is just one of the many items illegally dumped in a creek on CR-4760.
County Agricultural Agent, Larry Spradlin informed the residents of a series of meetings to be held to educate citizens across the county. "We'll be hosting like meetings in Cumby, Como, and other communities across Hopkins County, in an effort to get citizens involved and working to prevent illegal dumping," stated Spradlin. "It's a problem that can be solved by interested citizens becoming involved!"
County Agricultural Agent Larry Spradlin announced a series of educational meetings to be held all
across Hopkins County to help solve the problem of illegal dumping.
For information on the Precinct 4 Clean-Up Days, residents in that area of the county can contact Commissioner Evans, at (903)348-1682. And, for a schedule of other county meetings, Spradlin can be contacted at the Hopkins County Extension Office, by calling (903)884-3443.
"Stop Dumping - It's The Right Thing To Do!"
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