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Down in the dumps

Writer takes issue with large scale dumping in recreational areas
2917castlegarSENGER-pic
Photographic evidence of rampant

Please find attached the photographs taken over the last couple of weeks between two local popular areas to recreate - Indian Flats and Hall Rd. These images are a dozen of the sights we have documented, there are more at these locations and likely this is just the tip of the iceberg.  Being that I am a contractor in the roofing industry my experience leeds me to believe this is the doing of a contractor as there are at least eight house lots of roofing shingles dumped at the sites documented.  Some of these sites included torch on, a product that requires specialized roofing equipment, not something a homeowner would have the experience or equipment for.  The dumping has occurred over a period of at least a year, so one can assume this is regular practice of the contractor involved. As a licensed, ticketed roofing specialist that disposes of the waste materials from the jobs I contract to do, I estimate the cost of disposing the roofing waste at the appropriate dumping site, for just the sites documented, would be approximately $1,200 - $1,800. The Hall Rd. site was brought to light after recent exposure of the Indian Flats dumping on the local FaceBook page - Rant and Rave int he Kootenays. I have offered to supply the truck and trailer to clean up the eye sore and environmental issue but need volunteers and the RDCK to wave the construction dumping fees, which are higher then regular dumping fees. My family and I are concerned that if this dumping of construction materials continues then popular recreational areas such as Indian Flats and Hall Rd. may be closed off to the public, in addition to the issues already addressed.

Everyone is trying to save a buck in this economy, however, when it directly impacts the local environment and the visual enjoyment and perhaps access to these well-used recreational areas in the Kootenays, people need to know that their decisions impact others.

 

Thank you,

Stacy Senger