County Closes Pugwash Transfer Station
Score one for the vandals, the Pugwash transfer station is closed until further notice.
The facility on Irishtown Road has long served as the community drop-off location for construction and demolition debris, along with brush, scrap metal, and white goods destined for the county landfill in Little Forks.
The sudden closure, today, was prompted by ongoing and chronic vandalism at the site.
Since late June, there has been continuous vandalism at the site involving cutting the lock, chain and even the gate itself.
There have been 22 separate incidents between June 27 and this past Sunday. In December alone the lock has been cut and the site illegally accessed on December 1, 5, 9, 12, 13, 14 and 17.
An organics bin, just outside the gate of the transfer station, has also been abused — inundated with unsorted residual solid waste which is clearly not the purpose for which the supplementary service was established.
There has also been an increasing volume of illegal dumping of unsorted garbage around the dumpster and the gate to the facility.
The vandalism and property damage is currently under investigation by the RCMP.
Municipal staff claim to have brought this issue to the attention of the public on at least a couple occasions, but their usual effort to reach the public is restricted to their own social media and leads officials to the mistaken belief that it is well known in the surrounding area.
Municipal staff have asked for the cooperation of area residents and users of the facility, again limited to their social media, to comply with the regulations at the site and to report any knowledge of the individuals committing the property damage to the RCMP or the municipality.
The county’s chief administrative officer says, “It’s clear that most users of the facility value the service and are using it respectfully and as it was intended.” However, Greg Herrett added, “It’s also clear that a few apparently regard this property as their own to come and go on as they please whether it’s locked or not, taking what they wish and dumping what they wish.”
Herrett says the seven separate incidents in December is disheartening and led officials to the breaking point. He added, “We understand that this will be inconvenient, but dealing with the chronic and unrelenting vandalism has become unsustainable.”
Many have suggested video surveillance as a deterrent to illegal activity, and surveillance will have to be part of the solution, but Herrett says, “Behaviours must change. Measures will have to be put in place to encourage and monitor more appropriate behaviour.”
During the closure, all metals, white goods, construction and demolition materials, and the organics dumpster are being removed from the site. Barriers and signage will be erected and the area will be closed to the public.
All the materials usually handled by the transfer station must now be taken directly to the Cumberland Central Landfill in Little Forks, southeast of Amherst about 55 km from Pugwash, where tipping fees may apply.
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