SAN PATRICIO COUNTY, Texas — Experts say illegal dumping is an issue that's difficult to solve, but in San Patricio County several groups are coming together to try to alleviate the problem in the area, and surrounding communities.
On Saturday, March 4 residents of St. Paul will be able to drop-off large items meant to be discarded. It will start at 9 a.m. and will run through 3 p.m.
The event will be on a stretch of land between County Road 2323 and County Road 2331. County employees will help direct traffic.
Click here for a pinned location.
Here are the requirements:
- Must present St. Paul water supply bill
Acceptable items:
- Tires (rims will not be accepted)
- Large appliances
- Furniture
- Mattresses
- Scrap wood/metal
Unacceptable items:
- Brush or hazard waste including batteries, oil/gas and paint
- Commercial waste
For more information you can call (361) 587-3500 Monday through Friday or click here for more. More cleanup events are expected to be scheduled throughout the year for different parts of San Patricio County.
The next event will be on Friday, March 24 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. It will be at the Tradewinds Subdivision at CR1458, CR1414, CR1446, CR4139, CR1430, CR4121 and CR4167.
UP2U Program and its purpose
The cleanup event is part of a program called UP2U. San Patricio County Environmental Health Department along with Pct # 3 partnered with the Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries, Coastal Bend Council of Governments (CBCOG), and Nueces River Authority (NRA) to make this happen. UP2U is 100 percent grant funded. The three-year project includes two one-day cleanups and two 10-day cleanups throughout the years of operation. As of 2022 there is at least one year left until the program ends. Up2U is designed to prevent bulk trash from reaching waterways by targeting illegal dumping in Texas Coastal Bend watersheds. The project will remove barriers (e.g., cost, accessibility) that can prevent correct disposal of illegally dumped items by providing disposal dumpsters, cleaning up existing dump sites, and improving community awareness of problems associated with illegal dumping.
The program will serve rural communities in the Coastal Bend. Please contact the CBBEP at 361-336-0311 or info@cbbep.org if you would like more information.
If a person witnesses someone illegally dumping, officials are asking people to report it to authorities.
