Hefty fines on the way for illegal garbage dumpers in CBRM

People caught illegally dumping garbage in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality will soon face stiff fines under an updated solid waste bylaw that will give police more powers to crack down on offenders.

"It's a really big change," said Francis Campbell, the municipality's manager of solid waste. "In the previous bylaw, there was nothing there to address illegal dumping."

Campbell said the municipality previously relied on provincial regulations, such as the Crown Lands Act.

In the future, fines will be $500, plus administrative costs, for a total of $697.50. Police will be able to issue summary offence tickets, "much like a speeding ticket," said Campbell.

The bylaw is expected to pass second reading in municipal council early in the new year.

Homeowners responsible

The updated bylaw also clearly spells out what Campbell calls a "duty to identify."

"If you're a homeowner and you pay someone to take your garbage away, it's your responsibility to ensure that it's disposed of properly," he said.

"If you hire someone and they dump it in the woods, and we find your name in the garbage, you can either tell us who you hired to take it away, and if you refuse, then you are responsible and you will be fined."

Officials hope the new approach will cut down on the many illegal dumpsites that have been discovered throughout municipality on back roads and abandoned properties.

The municipality receives between 10 and 20 complaints a month about illegal dumping.

But one trash tracker said the bylaw doesn't go far enough.

Dylan Yates of Glace Bay started a Facebook group this summer to monitor illegal dump sites in CBRM. The group has organized several cleanups so far.

Recently, he said he and a group of seven friends pulled 90 bags of garbage out of an area near the Sydney airport in a two-hour period.

"It's catastrophic," said Yates. "There's nowhere you can go that you won't find garbage."

Yates said many people are dumping black bags that have been left behind during regular municipal collection.

Households are permitted to put out only one black bag for collection per week; the rest must be in clear bags. He said many people are hauling the rejected bags to the woods.

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"I'm happy the fines are going up," said Yates, "but it's catching these people is the biggest issue."

One police officer is assigned full-time in CBRM to investigate cases of illegal dumping.

Yates said the municipality should consider assigning more officers and perhaps even creating a task force to tackle the issue.