Taking out the Trash
Earth Day activities to attack illegal dumping

Barbara Russell and Jeff Kiely, both from the Northeast New Mexico Council of Governments, wander through an illegal dumpsite on Bureau of Land Management land in Milan Tuesday. The council is making efforts to clean up illegal dump sites and stop dumping. The first clean-up is Saturday in celebration of Earth Day. (Photo by John A. Bowersmith/Independent)

By Tom Purdom
Staff Writer

A bullet-riddled washing machine and other garbage are pictured with Mt. Taylor in the background at an illegal dumping site on BLM land near Milan. (Photo by John A. Bowersmith/Independent)

GRANTS — Illegal dumps are unsightly and unhealthy. Some are under investigation, but more and more are springing up.

A group of concerned Cibola County residents and the Northwest New Mexico Council of Governments are trying to put a stop to it. The public awareness campaign begins Friday, on National Earth Day.

Barbara Russell, an assistant planner with COG, is spearheading the drive to stamp out unsightly illegal dumping in Cibola County, but she realizes she is traveling on a long and hard road, as are the members of the newly formed Illegal Dumping Prevention and Cleanup Program Task Force. Russell's area covers Cibola County, and illegal dumping is one of the priority issues which cropped up in meetings on the county's 20-year plan COG held with governing bodies throughout Cibola County.

Russell and Northwest New Mexico Council of Governments Deputy Director Jeff Kiely visited a huge illegal dump on Bureau of Land Management property within eyesight of a trash transfer station. Tires, worn-out appliances, trash, construction site trash, papers, bottles, it was all there.

The area was once used by area rifle shooting enthusiasts as a makeshift target range, but the BLM closed down roads leading into the 300 acre site so the illegal dump site could be cleaned up. That cleanup is scheduled to be done April 27.

Louis Castillo, the Milan Parks and Recreation Department director knows of the illegal dumping at the BLM property, and the fact that people dumping trash there have to drive directly past a trash transfer station where all the trash dumped illegally, could be dumped legally. "It just doesn't make a whole lot of sense," Castillo said.

Castillo is heading up a "Clean the Scene" day Saturday in Milan for area residents to be given free transfer station tickets to dump all types of trash with the exception of car batteries and hazardous materials.

A few miles away, though, Russell and Kiely stood amid the trash as they talked. Russell remembers another situation not far from the BLM land situation. "I got a call from a lady who lived in a subdivision near Grants for 23 years," Russell said. "She reported that people were dumping old tires, oil and trash in an arroyo over the weekend. It is in the floodplain."

Others in the area pile up junk in their yards. "It is a problem," Russell said. The problem is trash such as old appliances, tires and construction wastes create perfect homes for unwanted guests like rats and mice, which then attract rattlesnakes.

"Illegal dumps were one of the top things that people talked about in our meetings across Cibola County in the 20-year Comprehensive Plan. It became our concern too," Russell said.

Cibola County officially started the task force on Feb. 14, with a resolution; however, it has been operating unofficially since August 2004 with the state environment department helping out where it could.

Russell had no clear answer why people dump trash illegally. She attributed part of the overall problem with the fact Cibola County has no ordinance penalizing individuals caught dumping trash illegally. "That is one of the things the task force will be working on," Russell said.

In order to have success, the program must be based on six points:

• Polictical buy-in.
• A management structure.
• Educating the public.
• Enforcement and prosecution.
• Clean-up.
• Program administration.

Russell said the political buy-in part has been accomplished. Governing bodies are being made aware of the seriousness of the problem. So far COG has made presentations to Grants, Milan, the school district, the Northwest New Mexico Solid Waste Authority, the Pueblo of Acoma Tribal Council, the Pueblo of Laguna governor and staff officers, Ramah Navajo Community, Cubero and Cebolleta.

"We're setting up a permanent program that will keep working," Russell said. "We're also using the opportunity of Earth Day to kick off the public awareness part of the program."

Meanwhile, in Milan before Saturday, Castillo said to contact the Parks and Recreation Department for a transfer station ticket at 287-8202.

In Grants, Code Enforcement Officer John Rhoderick said late afternoon on Friday the city will drop off dumpsters for the residents to use. One will be at the main fire station, another at San Jose Park, another at the police station, another at the Fire Station Number 2 on Truman Street, another at the city maintenance yard on Lobo Canyon Road and one at Mirabal Park. "We'll pick them up Saturday afternoon, or when they are full," Rhoderick said. "Basically, residents can put anything in them except hazardous materials or car batteries."

Rhoderick said people can also bring appliances to the dump site and deposit them beside the dumpsters and they will be picked up as well. Rhoderick said Grants will also have trash patrols made up of volunteers policing illegal dump sites and illegal dumping.

"We'll be giving away T-shirts and garbage bags for people to clean up their yards or illegal dump sites," Rhoderick said. "We'll also have hot dogs and sodas for the volunteers."

Cibola County is also planning to get in on the act. On Saturday only, the county will have trash convenience centers located in Cebolleta, Cubero, San Mateo, Bluewater Acres, San Rafael and Pine Hill. The centers will take in trash for free. "This will be for household trash, yard waste and white goods only, no tires, no construction debris," Russell said. She also said the centers will not accept any hazardous materials or car batteries.

On Saturday at New Mexico State University-Grants Campus, dignitaries from throughout Cibola County will sign an Illegal Dumping Prevention and Cleanup Proclamation at 8:30 a.m. and from 9 a.m. until noon, the university will host Earth Day events.

The Pueblo of Acoma will host Earth Week events from April 25 until April 29 and the Pueblo of Laguna has cleanup events planned to coincide with Feast Days.