This is Why Illegal Dumping in Maine Must End

As the snow finally begins to melt across the New England states, what so many of us are seeing isn’t just mud and melting ice, it’s trash and it’s been hiding all season.

This is a personal observation, but also seems to be something other folks are noticing a lot as well. I’m not just seeing trash under the snow either, I’m discovering that folks are also throwing there full trash bags in the  forests and lakes of our state.

Roadsides, streams, and public spots that once were clean and clear are now revealing beer, Styrofoam cups, plastic trash bags, and household garbage that someone didn’t bother to throw out properly.  

Why? What’s the deal? Is it really that hard to dispose of trash correctly? 

Get this, recently seven bags of trash were found off Route 169 in Prentiss Maine, according to WGME. 

This isn’t just an isolate incident. The forest rangers are in search of whomever dumped this trash into the stream in Penobscot County, as per the report.  

This Is Why Illegal Dumping Must End

And this isn’t just unsightly and disturbing; it’s completely illegal.

Under Maine Law, dumping waster in a stream, on the side of the road or any public place is against the littering law in Maine.  And penalties can include fines from $100 up to several hundred dollars for more serious violations

According to Maine Law, 

"Maine law strictly prohibits littering and illegal dumping on public or private land, with penalties ranging from fines of $100-$500 for small amounts to over $2,000 for large-scale dumping, according to Maine Legislature Title 17, §2264-A."

I’ve seen it myself and I am sure you have too.

I remember one afternoon driving down Route 202 in Greene, I saw three white trash bags filled on the side of the road. Later that same day, they were still there… so I pulled over, grabbed them, and took them to my own trash bins. 

It made me think about what our state means to us. Keeping Maine clean shouldn't be something we just talk about, but it’s something we do. I don’t want to have to throw out trash I find on the road, but how else will this get done?

We must pitch in and teach our kiddos to start doing the same.

When everyone's trash contributes to pollute streams, harm our wildlife, it makes our community look uncared for and becomes everyone's problem.

Read More: How The Polar Plunge In Maine Supports Special Olympics Athletes

A problem we shouldn’t have to clean up, but our problem nonetheless. 

To the people who think Maine’s streams and roadsides are dumping grounds: the harm doesn’t stop with the trash, you live here too.