Illegal dumping may lead to arrest

Lazaro Aleman
ECB Publishing, Inc.

Deputies from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and law enforcement agents from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) were on the hunt last week for the person or persons who illegally dumped hundreds of old tires at one of the county’s garbage collection sites.

Beth Letchworth, director of the Jefferson County Solid Waste Department, said the illegal dumping occurred at the garbage collection site on New Monticello Road, about a mile west of Monticello and a quarter mile north of U.S. 90.

She said an individual driving a flatbed wrecker truck and pulling a trailer drove into the site on two separate occasions last week and dumped about 300 tires.

“The first time they dumped about 150 tires at the site,” Letchworth said on Thursday, Dec. 10. “The next night, they came back and dumped about the same number.”

Letchworth said both incidents – which occurred past midnight on Tuesday and Wednesday, Dec. 8 and 9, respectively – were caught by the video camera installed at the site to discourage illegal activity. She was eventually able to identify the violator’s vehicle by way of the video and provided the information to law enforcement.

“I’m really hoping that we have figured out who dumped the tires and it leads to an arrest,” she said.
Although the quality of the video prevented her from readily reading the truck’s license plate, said she was able to resort to social media to overcome the problem.

“I posted a photo of the truck on Facebook and asked if anyone recognized it, and almost immediately people identified it.,” Letchworth said, adding that it appeared that the individual was a local resident with ties to a Leon County business.
She was informed that the offense was an arrestable one.

“It’s represents two felony counts of illegal dumping,” Letchworth said, adding that it would cost her department more than $1,000 to dispose of the tires.

Except for the Lloyd collection site, which closes at sundown, most other collection sites remain open 24 hours for the convenience of residents. Which round-the-clock accessibility unfortunately presents a prime opportunity for some to do illegal dumping.
In Florida, waste tires must be disposed at permitted tire collection centers, which are strictly regulated by the FDEP under the Waste Tire Management Program, as provided by Florida law.

Typically, auto repair shops and recycling facilities are considered waste tire collection centers and allowed to store up to 1,500 tires. Motorists commonly are required to purchase new tires in order to leave old tires for disposal, or they may be charged a disposal or storage fee. They may also be directed to a waste tire site for self-disposal.

Most recycling centers in Florida accept up to four used tires per year from individuals, provided that the latter show proof of residency, such as a driver’s license or photo I.D., and a copy of a utility bill or tax notice.

Most Florida communities, Jefferson County included, sponsor periodic hazardous waste days when residents are allowed to dispose of hazardous waste, including old tires, at designated locations for free.