Illegal dump in Huntington to be cleaned up Tuesday

An open and illegal dump located on 8th Avenue and 31st Street in Huntington will be cleaned up Tuesday, March 13.

Beginning at 9 a.m., staff from the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection’s REAP program, the City of Huntington, the Western Regional Day Report Center and Allied Waste will begin hauling away trash that has been illegally dumped in the area below the 31st Street overpass.

“As soon as we found out about this illegal dump, we began the process for getting people in place to remove it, “ said Greg Rote, manager of the state’s Pollution Prevention and Open Dump program. “Dumps like these start out small, but quickly grow into major eyesores and become health and environmental issues.”

The dump was discovered by a cleanup contractor who was working in the area recently.

“This cleanup is a result of a cooperative effort by many agencies working together to accomplish a common goal,” said Mayor Kim Wolfe. “My administration has always strived for a safer and cleaner Huntington, so I applaud the combined efforts of all the parties involved. I encourage our citizens to be diligent in protecting their neighborhoods by calling and reporting any illegal activity.”

It is anticipated that the cleanup will take up to two days to complete. Waste from the site will be taken to the Sycamore Landfill.

REAP is the Rehabilitation Environmental Action Program, which harbors all of the state cleanup programs within the DEP, and coordinates cleanup efforts using both staff and volunteers statewide. In a unique partnership, the program empowers citizens to take ownership of their communities by providing technical, financial and resource assistance in cleanup efforts.