Illegal dumpsite cleaned up

The Bureau of Land Management, Sierra Front Field Office recently contracted with a company to clean a large (approximately two acre) illegal dump site located east of Silver Springs. This site, which had the appearance of a small landfill became a popular spot for illegal dumping of trash. Full remediation and restoration of the site required a contractor with heavy equipment to remove larger trash items and mitigate potential hazardous materials on site. The cost of cleaning this dumpsite was approximately $66,000.

“Every year the BLM Carson City District Office receives hundreds of complaints from concerned public reporting trash sites on public lands,” said Logan Briscoe, Supervisory Law Enforcement Officer. “When individuals cannot be held responsible for their illegal acts, the expense of cleaning up a site such as this one is often funded through the use of tax payer’s money. The BLM truly appreciates the dedication and devotion of community groups and individual volunteers who spend countless hours of their free time cleaning up public lands so others can experience use of their public lands free from unsightly trash.”

This dump site is in a high use dispersed recreation area and has been reported by numerous responsible public land users. It has been shown illegal dump sites tend to attract more dumping activity and an accumulation of more trash. Cleaning up this site and posting signs will hopefully deter the illegal dumping in this area. Often trash found at these sites is from commercial use. If you pay to have trash hauled away, it’s always best to request a receipt to verify trash was taken to the appropriate landfill.

For more information, contact Terah Malsam at 775-885-6153.