Following a relatively successful year of cleaning up several unsightly illegal dump sites in Clinton County this year, the effect to target and clean up more such areas is an ongoing project. Solid Waste Coordinator Rick Stearns is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying such sites so they can be added to a list for possible grant funds.

In 2016, thanks to a grant from the state’s Energy and Environmental Cabinet’s Recycling and Analysis program, five dump sites (one of which is still in the works) was cleared in the county with a $240,884 grant.

The largest of the five was Blue Ridge at a cost of about $196,000 to be cleared. The four other areas ranged in clean-up cost ranging from a little over $2,000 upwards to around $8,000 in cost. Those areas included Bell Camp, Conner Ridge, Seventy-Six Falls and the site that is still being cleared at Koger Mountain. Stearns noted that site would be completed sometime in early fall.

Although each site has an estimate of how much it will take, funds from the grant can be moved around to complete the projects as needed as long as it stays within the grand fund amount.

Stearns said thus far, at least three sizeable dump site areas have been identified, and possible four overall reported so far. He is asking any resident who knows of a dump site location to contact him at 606-688-4040 so the site can be added to the list when the county applies for the next round of state funding in mid-November.

The amount of funds to be applied for will depend on the number of dumps identified and the cost estimate for the clean-ups of each site.

Some of the areas identified, Stearns said, were in the Trace of the Cumberland area below Wells Bottom, and the largest right now being on Poplar Mountain in the Duvall Valley area, as well as a smaller one on Stinson Road in the same general area.

Stearns noted he receives professional assistance in estimating the cost of any particular cleanup, using a formula that includes the estimated yardage of garbage, depth, length and location of the dump site to determine what it would cost a contractor to do the cleanup work.

Also, the state EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) does itsown assessments and cost estimates and matches with local estimates before determining the amount of grant funds to apply for. Stearns noted that “the one on Poplar Mountain may be extensive.”

Stearns said he didn’t know at this point how much the county may apply for in the upcoming fall cycle, but that will be determined when all dump sites by that time are reported and cleanup estimates obtained. He continued that word on the grant application and amount of funding the county may receive would probably be announced in late January of next year.

Stearns said he was pleased with the progress made in cleaning up the dump sites this year, especially in the Blue Rigdge area, but noted that cleanup of smaller illegal dumping locations is a year-round process. “We are still answering calls about small private dump sites,” he said, noting those in plain site from roadways and in public view are illegal and landowners are asked to take care of the problem and can be cited if the county has to clean them up.

The funds for illegal dump cleanups in counties is available annually, the Solid Waste Coordinator noted.

He stressed again that anyone knowing of a dump site should call and have it reported so it could be added to the list for grant fund clean up.

According to Administrative Assistant Penny Jo Stearns, the county would also again be applying for the Litter Abatement grant which is also an annual process.

Litter Abatement funds are used specifically for roadside litter cleanup and, for the past couple of years, the county has received an average of $19,000 in funding and have utilized county inmate labor as leverage to help make the funding go farther, Stearns said.

Anyone with information on illegal dump sites that need to be cleaned are asked to contact Stearns or phone the aforementioned number.