MARSHALL COUNTY, AL (WAFF) -
Nearly two decades of junk is finally getting cleaned up from an illegal dumpsite in Marshall County.
What finally is making this cleanup a reality?
A county commissioner said that was a goal of his when he came into office but admits he got some help.
Residents say they're glad it's finally happening.
"Like a junkyard. Trash pile is what it mostly looks like. Are you glad it's finally getting taken care of? Yeah," said resident, Clyde Hillis.
For residents traveling just outside of Grant, they couldn't be happier that a dump created over a 20 year period is finally being cleaned up.
"Instead of disposing of it properly, they just bring it here on Old Word Mountain Road and pile it up on the side of the road," said Marshall County Commissioner, James Maze.
But a state contractor is now digging all the way down the mountainside pulling up that debris.
"There's shingles, mattresses, commodes, you name it, it's in here," said Maze.
Even some dangerous things.
"Got several meth labs out of there that was thrown off in there," Maze said.
Maze said he's been working since 2008 to try to talk to the Alabama Department of Environmental Management to get the dump cleaned up. But the commissioner said he had some help from a resident who also was tireless in talking to ADEM.
"He had more time. I reckon he worried them until they finally got something done," said Maze.
When it's cleaned up, the commissioner says they plan to make it more difficult for people to dump.
"A natural barrier out here close to the road - it will probably be four feet, no more than four feet off the road, of rocks," he said.
The commissioner said they also plan to have some hidden eyes out watching for violators.
"Whenever we catch someone on camera, they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," he said.
Maze said there will be signs posted so there will be no excuses for those caught dumping in the future.
He anticipates the cleanup will be complete by sometime next week.
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Illegal dumpsite in Marshall County
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