Montgomery County solid waste disposal
(Montgomery County residents only)
When: 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesdays and Saturdays
Where: 2550 Sandridge Dr., Moraine
Items accepted: Paint, oil and gasoline (antifreeze, transmission fluid), stains, pesticides, fluorescent light bulbs, household batteries
Free yard waste: Grass clippings, brush and other organic materials free for Montgomery County residents (fee for sod or dirt)
Free recyclables: Bottles, jars, cans, mixed paper, cardboard boxes
Non-recyclables: The fee for disposing of plastic bags, buckets, ceramic, Styrofoam, plastic deli trays, window glass, etc. is $38.25 per ton (averages 2 cents per pound)
Tires: County residents can drop off 10 regular or tractor tires per year (driver's license required)
Old prescriptions: Can be dropped off from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 555 Infirmary Road, Jefferson Twp.
More information: Call (937) 225-4999 or visit www.mcohio.org/services/swd/
Illegally discarded tires don’t just look bad, they can breed mosquitoes and disease.
That’s just one reason the Montgomery County Environmental Crimes Task Force is cracking down on “dirty dumpers” who illegally dispose of paint, chemicals, mattresses, televisions, yard waste and especially tires.
“That water will heat up during the course of the summer and mosquitoes just love hot, stagnant water and they’ll lay egg after egg after egg after egg,” Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputy Victoria Dingee said, pointing to a discarded tire in an alley in west Dayton. “And before you know it, you’ll have millions of mosquitoes breeding in this one tire. And a mosquito will travel up to five miles for a blood meal.”
Since its January 2013 inception, the task force has prosecuted about 155 alleged “dirty dumpers” and gotten 86 convictions against people who ignore the free and inexpensive county resources to get rid of waste.
Dingee and Deputy Robbie Beach are environmental enforcement officers who investigate and build illegal dumping cases against suspects. The deputies talk to neighbors and sometimes place surveillance cameras to catch violators.
“Some alleys are just magnets for it,” Dingee said. “Those mosquitoes can carry a variety of diseases throughout our whole, entire community. It’s very dangerous. There’s kids playing out here, there’s schools nearby, daycares where kids are going to be outside.”
Before the program began, there hadn’t been any prosecution of open dumping cases.
“Dumping refuse, especially used tires, creates a health hazard and devalues the properties involved, as well as the surrounding properties,” Montgomery County Prosecutor Mat Heck Jr. said. “Throughout the county, over 90 illegal dump-sites were cleaned up by offenders being ordered to do so as part of the offender’s sentences. I’m proud to be a partner in this successful endeavor, and my office will continue to hold those who commit these offenses responsible.”
Dingee said felony opening dumping convictions can be punished by up to four years in prison and $25,000 in fines. One man convicted of hauling more than 10 tires was ordered to pay $10,000 in penalties, fines and court costs.
Officials said most waste can be disposed of for free through the Montgomery County Waste District, while some non-recyclable items cost just 2 cents per pound. Montgomery County residents can dispose of up to 10 tires per year at the facility.
“If residents spot somebody who is illegally dumping in their neighborhood, I would recommend that they call the 225-HELP number so we can investigate it,” Dingee said, adding that she loves when people take action like whoever cleaned up a dump site one day after deputies found it.
“That’s what we need,” she said. “We need a call to action for residents to take an interest and to pay attention to these kind of crimes, because that’s the only way that we’re going to be able to stop them.”
About the Author