Amanda Holland, director of the Scotland County Department of Health and Human Services, didn’t believe that her community could be filled with so much trash.
But a tour last month with a former solid waste enforcement officer opened her eyes. Worn-out furniture, old tires, and bags of trash were piled up in open fields and tucked into wooded areas across the county.
“I take great pride in our county,” said Holland, who was born and raised here. “I think we live in a great and beautiful community, so when I see things like that, it is heartbreaking.”
Illegal dump sites are more than eyesores–they’re a public health threat, according to Holland.
They can become habitats for disease-carrying pests like rodents, and chemicals from decomposing trash can pollute the county’s groundwater and waterways. Tires can collect standing water, which can allow mosquitoes to breed 100 times faster than normal, according to the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality.
The health department is responsible for enforcing the county’s solid waste ordinance. But Holland said her staff doesn’t have the capacity to tackle all of the illegal dumping and litter. The department has two solid waste enforcement officers, one of whom was hired earlier this month, who also juggle animal control responsibilities.
“Litter is always going to exist,” Holland said, “so it takes everybody’s effort to address it, not just our employees at the department. It’s a community effort.”
Dump sites and litter are particularly common in the northern and more rural parts of Scotland County, according to Chris English, executive director of the Laurinburg/Scotland County Area Chamber of Commerce. English is also a member of the chamber’s team that organizes a semi-annual litter sweep.
“Once you get out of the [Laurinburg] city limits, and you get on some of the longer rural roads, you can really tell and see how bad the litter is,” English said. “It could be picked up one day, and then the next day, there’s trash already back there.”
Litter and dump sites aren’t unique to Scotland County. The Columbus County Sheriff’s Office issued a public service announcement in February after it received complaints about illegal dumping. Last year, a man in Robeson County was charged with illegally dumping over 500 pounds of waste in Red Springs.
Under Scotland County’s solid waste ordinance, those found liable for illegal dumping are fined between $500 and $800, depending on previous offenses. Littering can result in a fine between $250 and $2,000.
Penalties are issued if an enforcement officer catches someone in the act of dumping or littering, Holland said. If the trash has a piece of identifiable information, then a penalty can also be issued.
Since December, when solid waste enforcement came under the health and human services department, officers have received 23 complaints about solid waste, issued three civil penalties, and sent two warning letters, according to Holland.
Bo Frizzell, chair of the Scotland County Board of Commissioners, said fast-food bags and other litter are common along Nashville Church Road in front of his construction business. He said he, his wife, and his employees often pick up trash in the area.
Frizzell said he wants the department’s officers to enforce the rules more strictly and issue harsher fines to people who litter or illegally dump items. He said he hopes the Flock Safety cameras installed along U.S. 501 will help catch people in the act. The cameras automatically read license plate numbers and register information like a vehicle’s make and color.
“It’s been a battle,” Frizzell said, “but you can’t give up. We’ve got to keep fighting, trying to make our streets better and our country roads better.”
In 2023, 19 cities across North Carolina spent at least $22.4 million on litter clean-up and prevention, according to a study by Duke University’s Environmental Law and Policy Clinic. The N.C. Department of Transportation spent another $25.3 million.
Scotland County spends about $203,000 a year on salaries, a vehicle, and other equipment for solid waste enforcement, according to Scotland County Manager April Snead.
In February, county commissioners went against the state Department of Environmental Quality’s recommendation and voted to continue accepting used tires at recycling centers. The county is not reimbursed by the state’s scrap tire disposal program for accepting tires at those locations, Snead told commissioners at the February 2 meeting.
“If we don’t take tires wherever we can, they’re going to end up on the side of the road,” Ed O’Neal, vice chair of the commissioners, said at the meeting. He said he picked up 42 tires along a quarter-mile stretch near a property he owns in the county.
The health department recently purchased a trailer so enforcement officers can haul trash from dump sites, Holland said. The department is still determining what else can be done.
“We could give her 100 staff members, but people can litter up the roads quicker than we can pick it up,” O’Neal said at the county’s Health and Human Services Advisory Board meeting on March 17.
One no-cost effort in the works is a quarterly clean-up by health and human services staff members, Holland said. She said the department is also working to educate the community about the impacts of litter and where trash should be discarded.
Frizzell said he wants education efforts to target the county’s youth. English agrees; the chamber of commerce already hosts anti-littering programs and events for young people.
Holland said residents should report litter and illegal dump sites to the health department online or by phone. Residents who want to clean up litter can also request materials from the chamber, English said.
“We really need the community’s support if they have a concern or they are aware of these issues throughout our county,” Holland said.