Jacobs Urges State to Clean Up Illegal Dumping

The problem with neglecting a small amount of illegally dumped garbage is that one soon has a very large amount of illegally dumped garbage.

That is the situation in Woodbury, according to Nassau County Legislator Judy Jacobs. What began as a pile of wood chips and tree stumps is now a garbage dump so large that it has grown to nearly the length of a football field.

Legislator Jacobs (D-Woodbury) had been trying to get the area, located on the north side of Jericho Turnpike, just east of the new Pathmark Supermarket, fixed up for weeks. She succeeded in having a "No Dumping" sign posted and bringing it to the attention of the New York State Department of Parks and Recreation. The land is owned by the state.

"When garbage is left to pile up, it encourages further dumping of other debris," said Legislator Jacobs. "The situation is so bad that the dumping is now encroaching on the neighboring property used by the Greenbelt Trail."

Legislator Jacobs has learned that the Department of Parks will now be taking responsibility for the clean-up of the site. She urges the state to take action immediately.

"The community is quite disturbed," said Legislator Jacobs, "not only about the aesthetics, but also about the far-reaching impact this type of dumping can have if left unremediated. Garbage dumps encourage mosquito and vermin infestations and can create a fire hazard. This is an unacceptable situation."