Dallas Has Plan To Deal With Illegal Dumping
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DALLAS (CBS11) - The heavy rainfall from last week spills over the banks of Prairie Creek, as it meanders through Southeast Dallas.
The overflow has left a bayou feel where the creek follows Dowdy Ferry Road in Dallas' Teagarden Place neighborhood.
The water can't hide the heaps of trash strewn as far as the eye can see, or the view residents like Fred Reed have grown accustomed.
"They just dump what they want, when they want," Reed says.
Reed's community rests in Dallas' dump zone. The Dowdy Ferry Road-Teagarden interchange is lined with polluted evidence of illegal dumping, including mounds of trashed tires and plastic bags with dead dogs inside.
"The city has an illegal dumping problem. We admit that,",Dallas Mayor Pro Tem Erik Wilson said Tuesday morning, while standing on Dowdy Ferry.
Wilson said Dallas has 62 illegal dumping sites in mostly Southern parts of the city. He joined representatives from Code Compliance, Sanitation, police and Marshals office, along with Animal Services to announce a collaborative effort to eliminate illegal dumping.
Surveillance cameras are now in operation at known dumping spots, and more street patrol from Marshals will take place. The plan also advocates for residents to call 311 when they see illegal dumping activity.
"Not only are we watching, your neighbors are watching, and we encourage your neighbors to report you," Wilson warned.
A growing problem is the illegal dumping of dead animals. The City of Dallas had documented thousands of reports of dead animals.
The city will also incorporate a public education program, informing residents of the proper steps to take for dead pets or discarded animals. "People don't have to dump their animals. We need to let them know how we can help."
Twenty arrests have been made since April for illegal dumping.
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