A group of volunteers were out on Saturday, cleaning up a notorious illegal dump site, on Crown land above Highway 97.
The spot was brought to the attention of authorities last fall when the Peachland Fire Department was dispatched to a blaze on a piece of uninhabited property adjacent to the site. There they found a massive swath of debris, from abandoned appliances and hundreds of tires to vast piles of construction and renovation waste, household garbage, old vehicles, trailers, etc.
Waste Reduction Facilitator Rae Stewart with the Regional District says this massive illegal dump is one of the most severe dump discoveries they’ve learned of in recent history. ”The RDCO on behalf of the Ministry of Forests Lands & Natural Resource Operations spearheaded this massive one day undertaking, and it was made possible thanks to the collaboration of dozens of weekend warriors and local businesses. Each and every one of them that gave of their time, sweat and muscle deserve a monumental environmental salute! Thank you to members of the Okanagan Forest Task Force, volunteers from Gorman Brothers Lumber, and a dozen plus private citizens from the District of Peachland and City of West Kelowna that heard about the event and showed up to assist.”
The crew managed to fill four big dumpsters with 12.21 tonnes of garbage in a few hours.
Kane Blake, spokesperson for Okanagan Forest Task Force, the group assisting the cleanup says their message is the same as it always has been. “Don’t dump in the bush. This is our backyard, respect it. Do the right thing! We’ll be watching for you.”
To join the task force, go HERE
For a smartphone app that allows you to report a dumpsite, go HERE