ROCKINGHAM — Richmond County is taking new steps to curb littering in Richmond County while some residents are taking the matter into their own hands.
The county is currently advertising a part-time position to assist the Solid Waste Enforcement Department in roadside cleanup and will add a pickup truck from another department into the enforcement officers’ repertoire, according to Public Works Director Jerry Austin.
“An additional employee is needed to assist in roadside debris pickup because current staff cannot keep up with the amount of trash that is being discarded on our roadsides,” Austin said in an email.
The new hire will cost the county taxpayers $15,000.
Solid Waste Enforcement Officer Allen Hodges in February issued five citations following investigations into illegal dump sites, according to County Manager Bryan Land. Austin said these citations were issued based on mail found in the trash bags which was traced back to the owners. The penalty for illegal dumping is $50 for the first offense.
“It is important that citizens understand they are ultimately responsible for the disposal of their own solid waste,” Austin said. “Should they hire someone and that individual illegally dumps the waste, the homeowner is still responsible should a citation be issued unless the perpetrator is caught in the act.”
Austin said he did not know the exact number of illegal dump sites there are in Richmond County, but some of the known ones are Allen Road, Green Chapel Church Road, Sycamore Lane, East V Hogan Drive and Gin Mill Road. The Dobbins Heights Cemetery’s trash problem flared last year when one resident asked the Town Council to do something about the buildup. The cemetery is non-perpetual care, meaning that it is the responsibility of the individual plot owners to keep it up.
The county last week reached out to residents who have adopted a highway in order to verify whether they are continuing to maintain their sections. Of the residents participating in the “Adopt A Highway” program that were contacted by the county, only two responded and both of those reported that they were still participating, Austin said.
Ed O’Neal adopted a quarter mile stretch of N.C.-177 and said two years ago he picked up 42 tires in the area. O’Neal no longer is officially in charge of this stretch of highway but recently went back out with his three and five-year-old grandsons to clean and found three tires and at least 50 pounds of other trash, which tells him that people are beginning to use the site for dumping again.
“For me this is a personal responsibility issue, people have to accept that it’s their trash,” O’Neal said. “I’m trying to teach (my grandsons) that it’s not fair to others when you throw out trash for someone else to pick up.”
Alyssa Rush started the #trashbagchallenge last week where she gathered six volunteers to head out to Blewett Falls Lake to pick up trash. Rush said they picked up 25 pounds of trash, which was mostly broken bottles.
“We did it to help our community and make it safer to go out there,” Hall said in a Facebook message.
Commissioner Ben Moss said the only way to stop people that habitually litter is to catch them and “get in their wallets” through fines.
“The enforcement officer is doing what he can but we must find a way to change the mindset of some people in our community,” Moss said in a text. “They need to take pride in the area in which they live.”
Austin said the county holds recycling and litter presentations at all Richmond County elementary schools every year. The next one is scheduled in April.
“Litter cleanup has to be a coordinated effort between citizens, businesses, and all municipalities in Richmond County,” Austin said. “If individuals would be more responsible and properly dispose of their waste then we would see an immediate improvement on our roadsides.”
Ed O’Neal, left, stands with the 42 tires he picked up on his section of N.C.-177 two years ago.