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PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. – Illegally dumped construction materials in Pinellas County over the weekend caught people’s attention online.
People were concerned about the construction materials and questioned what they could do to get it fixed.
What we know:
The construction materials were illegally dumped next to St. Joes Creek in Pinellas County. The area is mostly cleaned up now, but just a few days ago the area was covered in debris.
Pat DePlasco, the executive director of Keep Pinellas Beautiful, said this is an issue for Pinellas and all communities.
“It’s harmful to the animals, and it’s also harmful for our economy,” DePlasco said. “Nobody wants to live in a community where there’s illegal dumping all over the place.”
What they’re saying:
Keep Pinellas Beautiful says a dump spot next to a creek poses a big issue.
“Eighty percent of our litter that’s on land ends up in our waterways,” DePlasco said. “And if it’s not in our waterways, it’s clogging up what ways that we go to the water, like our storm drains.”
Even though most of the wood and trash is gone, some trash remains. DePlasco said any amount of litter is dangerous, especially for kids trying to play.
“You never know if there’s nails or glass or whatever that they could fall on or step on,” DePlasco said.
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DePlasco said while they get about 20 calls a month, this is likely more of a widespread problem.
“Now there could be more out there that we don’t know about,” DePlasco said. “
She said at the end of the day it’s her opinion that Pinellas County’s beauty prevents an increase in more dumping.
“People realize that we live in paradise,” DePlasco said. “And it’s everybody’s responsibility to take care of it. So there is less, I believe, there’s less illegal dumping here than in other counties across the state.”
What you can do:
If you see illegal dumping or litter in Pinellas County, contact Keep Pinellas Beautiful through the group’s Litter Hotline. If the illegal dumping includes hazardous materials, you can find more information here or call (727) 464-4425.
If it happens on private property, call code enforcement at (727) 464-4761.
The Source: Information in this story comes from interviews done by FOX 13’s Danielle Zulkosky.