Cleanup Our American Lands and Streams
Clean up Our American Lands and Streams (COALS) is a program to remove illegally dumped garbage, trash and tires through a partnership among environmental organizations, schools, business and industry, and local, county and state governments. The program was piloted in Columbia and Northumberland counties and has expanded to over 15 counties. It is hoped that the program will be implemented statewide over the course of the next several years.
The COALS program is a multi-faceted initiative, which includes volunteer and contractor cleanups, education and outreach, surveillance, enforcement, and beautification projects. 159 illegal dumpsites in Luzerne County containing 1,724 tons of trash have been identified by a survey prepared by PA Cleanways in 2007. According to the survey, thirty two (32) municipalities (42%) in Luzerne County have illegal dumping activities. Twenty one percent (21%) of the dump sites were in the vicinity of a water-body or waterway, while four percent (4%) of the sites have waste directly in the waterway itself. Hard to dispose of items, such as tires, appliances, and other bulky waste items were the most common materials found at the dumpsites. Steel, abandoned cars, mattresses, aluminum cans, glass, plastic bottles, newspapers, magazines and cardboard were also found.
Although illegal dump sites were identified in only 42% of the municipalities in Luzerne County by the PA Cleanways survey, all residents of Luzerne County (population of 319,250 in seventy-six (76) municipalities) are impacted by illegal dumping. Local communities, human health, the economy and the environment are all negatively impacted by illegal dumping. Disease spreading rodents and mosquitoes are commonly found at dump sites. Tire dump sites are of particular concern because they are havens for mosquitoes, which are carriers of the West Nile Virus. The impacts to human health by illegal dumping are seen well beyond the boundaries of a dump site. The use of the illegal drug, methamphetamine, is growing in Luzerne County, as well as, other illegal drugs. Needles and other drug paraphernalia have been found at dump sites. Illegal dump sites impact the local economy by reducing property values at the dump sites, as well as, the surrounding area, negatively impact tourism and negatively affecting the ability to attract new businesses and industry to the region. Environmental impacts from illegal dumping include soil, surface and groundwater pollution. Toxic materials have been found at dump sites in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Impacted drinking water supplies can affect many residents living well beyond the boundaries of the dump sites. Several pile tires have caught fire resulting in toxic fumes being released into the air and impacting surrounding residents. Over 50 underground mine fires exist in Pennsylvania, including one mine fire in the Wyoming Valley. Nearly all the mine fires were started with illegally dumped materials catching on fire and igniting a coal seam in crop falls or mine pits. These mine fires not only negatively impact the air quality but also the local economy and quality of life of local residents.
- Inspect dump sites to determine if they are safe for volunteers or require a contractor (other funding will underwrite the contractor cleanup costs);
- For volunteer cleanups, PEC will coordinate volunteers, arrange for trash dumpsters, coordinate transportation and disposal of the waste, distribute press releases on the planned cleanups, obtain gloves, bags, and safety vests, provide general liability insurance, and obtain donations for lunch or purchase lunch for volunteers.
Volunteer cleanups are held between mid-October and mid-November and between mid-April and mid-May when the vegetation is at a minimum (making it easier to see the trash and safer for volunteers) and poison ivy and mosquitoes are not an issue. Planning for the volunteer cleanups occurs throughout the summer and winter in preparation of the cleanup season.
The long term benefits of the COALS program are multi-faceted. Many of the dump sites are located in or near our communities. Removing the waste will improve the quality of life of nearby residents. Property values of the dumpsites and surrounding areas will see an immediate increase. Sources of disease will be reduced with the removal of the waste, thus having a long term benefit to the health of the residents of Luzerne County. Sources of potential mine fires will be eliminated. The cost to extinguish mine fires in Pennsylvania is in the billions of dollars (Centralia Mine Fire is estimated to cost over a billion dollars alone to extinguish). Preventing future mine fires will have a significant positive impact on the financial resources of the local and state agencies that fund the extinguishing of mine fires. Soil and water quality will be improved, thus having a positive impact on our drinking water resources. The local economy will improve with the removal of the waste. Eyesores that are a deterrent to attracting new business and industry will be eliminated. The tourism industry in the region will also benefit with the removal of the eyesores of trash and tires.
Over the course of a year, hundreds of volunteers from local high schools, boy/girls scouts, colleges and universities, non-profit organizations and local residents will be mobilized to cleanup multiple sites. The volunteers not only make the cleanups possible but are educated on the negative impacts of illegal dumping on our local communities. This education is critically important to the future of illegal dumping. Illegal dumping is a sad part of our culture in Northeastern Pennsylvania. We hope that education and the dirty "hands on experience" of having to cleanup the trash will have a tremendous impact on our young people and raise their awareness.
The benefits of the COALS program will only be completely realized if the illegal dumping activities are eliminated. Therefore, PEC is partnering with local municipalities, organizations, private citizens, DEP and local law enforcement to reduce and ultimately prevent future dumping through education, outreach and surveillance of cleaned up sites and enforcement activities.