Property Owners Fed Up With Illegal Dumpers

People all across our area are still dealing with damage left behind by the ice storm. The reality is many of us may be dealing with the debris for months to come. News On 6 anchor Craig Day reports some illegal debris dumpers are making a challenging situation even more difficult.

George and JoAnn Baird live in Jay, but own property in north Tulsa. Since the ice storm, they've been traveling back and forth, 90 miles each way, to clear downed limbs.

"We were down here all day. Cutting and dragging this brush up. And, just cleaned it up," said George Baird.

But illegal debris dumpers are making their cleanup job much harder.

"You couldn't even get the truck in there. They had dumped so much stuff in there," said George Baird.

Several loads of limbs were dumped on their vacant lot, so the Bairds had to start all over again.

"I just think it is wrong they are doing it," said George Baird.

Not only is it wrong, the Bairds say it's frustrating and time consuming, too.

"It just makes you sick. It just makes you sick to look at it and to think that people would do that," said George Baird.

The couple says it isn't the first time. Since the property is near a dead end road, their lot is a prime target for illegal dumpers.

Since the ice storm hit, the city says illegal dumping of storm debris has become a big nuisance. Anyone caught doing it could face fines of $50 to $500, plus court costs. But, the city says it's almost impossible to catch illegal dumpers.

The Bairds just want it to stop. They don't know how many times they can keep going back to square one.

"I take mine to the right place and I pay my fees. I think they ought to do the same thing," said George Baird.

You can report illegal dumping by using the Mayor's Action Line at 596-2100. Callers should provide vehicle descriptions, including tag numbers and any logos or company names.