Illegal dump site offender on Radium Springs Road identified

ALBANY — Edith Klein, one of the owners of Oakridge Construction Company, has been identified as the person determined to be responsible for the recent illegal dumping of concrete blocks in East Albany.

Judy Bowles, executive director of Keep Albany-Dougherty Beautiful, said Klein has been issued a citation and will appear in state court on Jan. 9 at 8:30 a.m.

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, directly across from Radium Springs Gardens, officials say. Jon Howard, Albany mayor pro tem and Ward I commissioner, said last week that his brother-in-law, Larry Hart, had been driving in the area on Nov. 30 when he happened to see the site.

Howard and Bowles went to the site on Dec. 2 to inspect the rubble to look for clues as to who may have left it there.

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 their Albany crushing plant.

“It would have been no cost for them to do that (take the blocks to the Oxford crushing plant),” Bowles said.

Those who see someone driving into a place where should not be are encouraged to try to get their tag number and call 911.

Officials say people who are caught dumping illegally can be charged a fine of up to $1,000, made to pick up trash within a one-mile radius or given jail time. In addition, Keep Albany-Dougherty will publish the offenders name in the media as a method of deterrence for potential offenders.

“This is really a beautiful area of Albany,” Bowles said. “It is a shame anyone would illegally dump.”

The site is on county property, which means Dougherty County taxpayer dollars had to be used to clean up the site, Bowles said.