Earth Week marks the first year milestone of a new Comox Strathcona Waste Management program aimed at preventing illegal dumping across the region.
Since the launch of the Illegal Dumping Program last year, 120 illegal dump sites have been reported and dozens of dumpers identified, often resulting in tickets being issued. As the majority of the dump sites identified were in the Comox Valley, the program will now turn its focus to Campbell River and the surrounding communities for the next phase of education.
“The Comox Strathcona Waste Management service area extends from the Comox Valley to Sayward in the north and then west to Gold River, Tahsis and Zeballos,” explained Michael Dinesen, Bylaw Compliance Officer and Illegal Dumping Program Coordinator. “This is a huge area to cover and we depend on members of the public and our municipal partners to help us identify illegal dumpsites. We think people in the Comox Valley are pretty well informed and we are now focussing our resources further north.”
Illegal dumping harms the environment and can have serious, long-lasting impacts on our region. More than 600 illegal dump sites have been documented since 2012. Once bylaw officers are made aware of these dump sites, proactive monitoring can be implemented to identify illegal dumpers and lessen activity in the area.
More than 70,000 kg of waste has been removed from our environment since the launch of the Illegal Dumping Program. Its success is dependent on support from partnering municipalities, community groups and volunteers. Comox Strathcona Waste Management would like to acknowledge and thank all volunteers who participated in clean-ups in 2017 including: Stop Comox Valley Illegal Dumping, Comox Valley and Campbell River ATV clubs, Millard Creek Stream clean-up, Courtenay Fish and Game, B&D Containers, Pacific Woodwaste, and the K'ómoks First Nation.
For more information on Comox Strathcona Waste Management’s Illegal Dumping Program, visit www.cswm.ca/illegaldumping. The website contains information about tipping fees for commonly dumped items and video resources about illegal dumping and how to prevent it.
To report an illegal dump site, or someone improperly disposing of materials, call 1-800-331-6007 or report online at www.cswm.ca.
About Comox Strathcona Waste Management
The Comox Strathcona Waste Management service is a function of the Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD) and is responsible for two regional waste management centres that serve the Comox Valley and Campbell River, as well as a range of transfer stations and smaller waste handling and recycling facilities for the electoral areas of the CVRD and the Strathcona Regional District. The CSWM service manages over 100,000 tonnes of waste and recycled material and oversees a number of diversion and education programs.
Media Contact
Michael Dinesen
Bylaw Compliance Officer and Illegal Dumping Program Coordinator
Comox Strathcona Waste Management Services
Tel: 250-334-6088