Litter charges pile up in Morgan County

by Jazz Clark

During March 2012, the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (DNR) conducted a litter sweep in eight counties, Morgan County included.

The sweep yielded 60 criminal charges, consisting of violations such as contributing to an open dump, no proof of mandatory disposal, and open burning of refuse and littering.

The DNR also issued 120 warnings for cleanup and proper disposal.

DNR officials would not disclose how many of the charges and warnings they issued came from Morgan County.

“They have to keep people from having open dumps, and the fines can be hefty,” said Magistrate Kermit Ambrose, who handles some of the cases locally.

Fines in West Virginia can be anywhere from $1,000 to $25,000 depending on the volume of garbage.

West Virginia litter code (22-15A-4) states that “No person shall place, deposit, dump, throw or cause to be placed, deposited, dumped, or thrown any litter upon any public or private highway, road, street or alley, public or private property or waters of the state except in a proper receptacle.”

“County Solid Waste Authorities, waste disposal haulers and citizens were very appreciative of this concentrated enforcement endeavor by our officers,” said DNR Capt. Roy Cool, who led the sweep.

When the properties are revisited in April and May, they will have been given ample time to clean up, said DNR officials. Criminal charges will be filed on those who fail to comply.

Citizens are encouraged to report littering and solid waste violations to the local Natural Resources Police Officer or the District 2 Office at 304-822-3551.