ELYRIA, Ohio (WOIO) – The Lorain County Health Department is taking a unique approach to combating illegal dumping with its new nuisance abatement program.

“Not only the debris that’s here, but also the public health issues that exist,” says Mark Adams, Lorain County Public Health Commissioner.

Adams is leading the charge against the growing problem of illegal dumping.

The program partners with the municipal court to provide community service workers with double credit for the time they spend cleaning up these sites.

“The trailer I’m in was abandoned here and then people started filling it with trash and debris,” reports 19 News reporter Gabby Hart. “Mark tells me that if it weren’t for programs like the one we’re showing you, much of this activity would continue to stagnate and fester, posing a danger to the community. »

“We’ve already removed 139 tires from here…thousands of mosquitoes can live in those tires,” Adams says.

“That’s what mice do.” That’s why we clean things up. Mice spread diseases, and the place is simply infested with mice and rats. He continued.

This Elyria site is just one of hundreds.

Trip after trip, load after load, teams strive to eliminate these health risks.

Adams believes this program could be a model for other communities struggling with illegal dumping.

“That way we can make things clean in communities, bring back that pride and say, ‘Hey, the government is here to help,’” Adams says.

The Lorain County Health Department encourages residents to dispose of their waste responsibly through recycling centers or trash services.

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