SAN DIEGO, Calif. (KNX) — Several dump sites that popped up in the Cleveland National Forest will cost the United States Forest Service an estimated $30,000 to clean up, according to officials.
The forest, which stretches from Orange County all the way to San Diego County, has become a dumping ground for paint cans, buckets, medical needles, and more. All things that are dangerous and detrimental for wildlife and people.
“We have multiple dump sites throughout the forest and these sites pose a threat to waterways, wildlife, visitors and the environment,” The U.S. Forest Service said in a statement Wednesday. “Don’t trash your national forest!”
Speaking with CBS San Diego, U.S. Forest Service Spokesman Nathan Judy said cleanup must be done, but it won’t be cheap.
“This is a dangerous situation, we need to make sure that we clean this up. And this clean is going to cost, what we think is going to be $30,000,” he said, explaining that it isn’t as simple as picking up the trash.
In some cases, Judy said, the paint cans or chemical containers have leaked - leaving the liquid not just above ground but also saturated beneath it.
Judy said he’s frustrated that so many people are choosing national forest land as a dumping ground when there are many other options out there.
Electronics, chemicals and medical needles can all be dropped off for free in several counties. Click here for Los Angeles County, here for Orange County, and here for San Diego County.
If the cost of taking waste to the dump has you thinking about alternative options - think again. Anyone caught illegally dumping in U.S. National Forests could face up to $5,000 in fines or six months in jail.
During clean, Judy said crews will also look through the piles of garbage for any sort of identifying information. If they find it, they’ll open a case for illegal dumping.
“You have wildlife that are in this area that are going to come across this, they don't know what this is…I mean, who just came out here, decided to dump again. Why wouldn't you just go to the dump and take this there?"
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