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Monday, October 13, 2008
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Illegal dumping takes toll
Senior Reporter Sheetrock piles, burned tires, broken glass.
Not the typical items residents hope to see around area lakes. But illegal dumpers are leaving their trash and debris on public land and leaving residents to pick up the bill.
Mark Rudningen, Crow Wing County parks division supervisor, said Flanders Lake is a prime example of one of the county's hidden treasures. The county manages 40 acres there along the site - in Section 9 of Mission Township on the lake's north end. And it's been an active dumping site.
This summer, the parks division cleaned up a pile of Sheetrock at the site along with tire rims, burned tires and broken glass. It's not an isolated incident. But Rudningen said the county, with help from DNR conservation officers, have had success in tracking down culprits and making them clean up their mess.
"The message needs to get out we are investigating this stuff," Rudningen said. "A lot of people don't realize that. It is frustrating and it's frustrating for the public in general."
With more activity in tax-forfeited land through the fall months, Rudningen hopes people will report illegal dumping or take note of individuals if they see it in progress.
The messy dumps, with garbage and baby diapers, are among the worst for the cleanup crew making rakes, a good pair of gloves and tetanus shots necessities. To save money, Rudningen said he often does the cleanup himself. On bigger projects, the highway department has been called in to help. DNR Conservation Officer Karl Hadritz assisted on a dump site off County Road 8 where the responsible person was found.
Just south of Irondale in the Section 6 area, tire burning has been popular, Rudningen said. Sometimes the offenders roll the tires down in a lake. Other times the illegal tire burning leaves metal rims and smoldered remains in one case accompanied by the burned remnants of a bench seat.
"There is a lot of that going on out there," Rudningen said. "It's one of those things that seem to be happening more and more."
RENEE RICHARDSON may be reached at renee.richardson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5852.
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