Illegally dumped trash fouls former auto shop
People who won’t properly dispose of their trash are a lot like cockroaches: It’s almost impossible to wipe them out.
A turning point in the evolution of the city was when the rules were changed about15 years ago to impose substantial tipping fees on garbage taken to waste transfer stations for disposal.
It costs a lot to dispose of a big load of waste, and some people would rather dump it in a secluded location in the dead of night, rather than do the right thing.
Since then, illegal dumping in secluded areas — and sometimes in very public places — has become a common method of disposal for pigs that refuse to pay for it.
Maybe it’s just a coincidence, but home renovators seem to be among the worst offenders.
Many times, we’ve checked out complaints about illegally dumped trash and found that a lot of it was renovation waste.
That’s what we spotted at a closeddown car-repair shop on the west side of Markham Rd., near Painted Post Dr., where the property has been fouled by illegal dumping.
Dieter Smythe emailed to say that “at the site of a former tire/auto- repair outlet on Markham Rd., near Hurry Lube, people have been dumping garbage for quite some time. It looks unsightly and smells terrible.
“The owners of the property should be required to clean it up.”
We found broken bricks, rolls of old carpet, piles of wood and other stuff produced during home renovations, aside from the usual ripped-open bags of household garbage.
The cost of disposing of renovation trash is worked into the fee charged for the work, but some unscrupulous renovators are obviously dumping the junk wherever they can and pocketing the extra money.
And when it’s dumped on private property, the owner is on the hook to clean it up, even though he or she has been victimized. Status: We’ve asked Municipal Licensing and Standards, which is in charge of bylaw enforcement, if an inspector can be sent out to take a look and issue a cleanup order. What’s broken in your neighbourhood? Wherever you are in Greater Toronto, we want to know. To contact us, go to thestar.com/yourtoronto/the_fixer, email jlakey@thestar.ca or call us at 416-869-4823 . To read our blog, go to thestar.com/news/the_fixer. Report problems and follow us on Twitter @TOStarFixer.