East Albany illegal dumping site investigated | VIDEO

ALBANY — Several tons of cinder blocks and building materials, most of it broken or unusable, was recently dumped illegally off the 2500 block of Radium Springs Road, officials say.

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According to Jon Howard, Albany mayor pro tem and Ward I commissioner, Howard’s brother in law, Larry Hart, had been driving in the area Sunday when he happened to see the site. On Tuesday, Howard and Judy Bowles, director of Keep Albany-Dougherty Beautiful were inspecting the rubble and looking for clues to who may have left it there.

“Code enforcement is on the way,” Bowles said, “But we’ll never identify this. When you dump tires or debris like this, it’s extremely difficult to catch someone.”

Bowles said the unsightly debris, directly across from Radium Gardens on Radium Springs Road, will have to be removed before it begins to attract rodents and snakes, which would create a health and safety hazard.

“Unfortunately, when code enforcement comes, the property owner will have to remove it, even if they didn’t put it here,” Bowles said. “That’s unfortunate, but it’s the way the law works.”

As of Tuesday morning, the owner of the property where the debris was dumped had not been identified, Bowles said.

“You might think that once they have (the debris) on their truck they could just take it to the Dougherty County landfill. All the hard work is already done,” Bowles said.

According to Bowles, Dougherty County residents may discard up to 250 pounds of household refuse at the landfill each day at no charge. In addition, officials at Oxford Construction Company say that “clean” cinder blocks may be recycled at no charge at their Albany crushing plant.

“We’d like residents to become more involved against illegal dumping,” Bowles said. “When you see someone driving into a place where you know they shouldn’t be, try to get their tag number, call 911 and have an officer come out.”

Bowles says people who are caught dumping illegally can be charged up to $1,000 fine and made to pick up trash within a one mile radius. In addition, Keep Albany-Dougherty will publish the offenders name in the media.

“It’s an awful way to try to save money,” Bowles said. “But if we catch you, you won’t save money.”