Growing garbage pile causes concern
Cornwall resident says detritus in pond ‘a real mess’
A Cornwall resident tired of seeing trash in the local pond says she wants it cleaned up once and for all.
Barbara MacMillan said she complained to town officials last month about the buildup of trash in the pond, which is located near the Ferry Road.
The town resident of 48 years said she likes to go for walks around the pond and wants the garbage removed, but said she wasn’t sure who was responsible for cleanup.
“It’s a real mess,” she told The Guardian while pointing to an old rusted metal frame jutting out of the water next to a discarded shopping cart, a garbage can and litter among the reeds.
MacMillan said the trash seemed to be coming from the property beside the pond and was worried the neighbours were dumping garbage onto the public land.
However, a town official said otherwise.
Matt Duffy, the town’s manager of utility of public work, said he’s aware of the issue and that most of the garbage and refuse in the area was accumulated when the trailer park was still there.
The trash, he said, was discovered last year after a developer made way for a trail.
The house in question beside the pond is a rental property.
Duffy said the property owner was notified in April to clean it up and wants to give him time to do so before any actions are taken.
“We’re complaint-driven,” Duffy said.
“Once we get a complaint, we act on it. In this case, we wanted to give the property owner some time to get in there when things kind of dried up and that kind of stuff.”
The town works with the local area watershed group to keep the area’s shorelines clean.
Duffy said he’s been in touch with the group recently and plans are underway to start with the spring cleanup, including around the pond, beginning in the next week or two.