On July 3 Michael Paul Leese, 32 and Terrell Montgomery, 45, both from Pittsburgh, were found guilty of illegal dumping debris from an excavac vehicle in the Larimer section of Pittsburgh by the Honorable Jeffrey A. Manning.

Leese was fined $500 plus court fees and Montgomery was fined $300 plus court fees. Both parties have 30 days to appeal.

The City of Pittsburgh has recently increased efforts to identify illegal dumpers and hold them accountable. This spring, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful donated high-tech surveillance cameras to the City of Pittsburgh to support enhanced enforcement efforts. The cameras are in addition to two cameras, purchased by Allegheny CleanWays through a grant from the Allegheny County Conservation District, that were donated to the City of Pittsburgh for surveillance of the city’s worst dumping areas in late 2013.

"We are grateful for the effort of Melissa Rosenfeld, the city's Anti-litter Coordinator, as well as that of the Zone 5 police department and the city's legal department in bringing this case to trial. It sends a clear message that the City of Pittsburgh will no longer tolerate illegal dumping of any kind on public property," states Myrna Newman, Executive Director of Allegheny CleanWays.

“Illegal dumping is not only detrimental to the environment but also increases disposal costs to those who dispose of their trash properly,” states Shannon Reiter, President of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful.  “We are pleased to play a role in enhancing surveillance efforts to help stop illegal dumping in the City of Pittsburgh.” 

Questions regarding proper disposal of waste can be answered by Allegheny CleanWays at 412-381-1301 or send email to: myrnan@alleghenycleanways.org. 

7/14/2014