PUNTA GORDA, Fla. — An illegal dumping site on Cypress Street and Taylor Road is turning into a threat to the environment. Neighbors said there’s so much trash near their homes, it’s spilling into a nearby lake.
The dumping started in a forest on Cypress Street and it gets worse the further you go into the forest.
Timothy Dolan lives across the street from the site. He said outsiders dump trash in the area when no one’s looking. “It’s always in the middle of the night, because we woke up and this was here,” he said.
Caitlin Gunster jogs past it everyday. She said the trash spills onto the roadway, leaving people who live in the area have to pay for someone else’s mess. “There’s no reason to take advantage of someone’s property and they’re not around to defend themselves,” she said. “It makes the property value lower for everybody.”
Gunster said she hopes they can clean it up before it starts affecting the wildlife. “That’s all it would take is one plastic bag on a little duck and it would drown,” she said.
One plastic bag already made it’s way into the lake. and with hurricane season approaching, Gunster foresees an even bigger issue. “First flood we get that’s all going into that lake over there,” she said.
Gunster said she’s trying to track down the property owner to get permission to clean it up.
In a statement a rCharlotte County spokesperson said: "We've been made aware of the illegal dumping site at that location and will be looking into it. Residents who witness illegal dumping should report it to the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office or via the county's website at CharlotteCountyFL.gov. Click Contact Us and then Click Illegal Dumping."
If you spot illegal dumping in your neighborhood, report it to your local sheriff's office.
