On December 19, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful announced Wilfredo Soto Torres (age 56) was cited by City of Reading police officer Devin Hasenauer for illegally dumping a large number of black plastic bags on September 24 with the help of KPB’s  Surveillance Camera Loan Program. 

Soto Torres was found guilty by the Magisterial District Judge Kyley L Scott of depositing waste on a roadway in the City of Reading and paid a fine of $300 plus costs for a total penalty of $416.50.

“I am glad to be working with Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful on this program,” says Kevin Lugo, Sustainability & Solid Waste Manager for the City of Reading. “Illegal dumping puts litter in our neighborhoods, can be a health hazard, and costs the city thousands of dollars to clean up. Dumping is an eyesore in our community and directly affects residents and businesses who find garbage piled on their property. Our community does not tolerate illegal dumping. If you witness illegal dumping or find a dump site, please let the City know by reporting it through iRequest or calling 877-727-3234.”

“The camera program is working just as intended.  We want to thank our municipal, enforcement, and organizational partners who used the evidence to identify and hold accountable the individual who chose to dump trash illegally,” explained Shannon Reiter, President of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful. “Through publicizing these prosecutions, we hope to help curb the act of dumping.  Dump cleanups bring a financial burden to our communities and municipalities as they are often saddled with the responsibility of cleaning it up.  Cleanups are needed, but our end goal needs to be to stop the dumping in the first place.”

In a recent study, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful found that on average, it costs local communities $600/ton or nearly $3,000 for an average illegal dump cleanup.

Funding for the surveillance Camera Loan Program was provided by the Department of Environmental Protection.  DEP funds for this program are from fines that the state agency receives for environmental infractions.

The cameras are able to capture high quality, prosecution-worthy photos, even of license plates at night. 

For more information on the program, visit KPB’s Surveillance Camera Loan Program webpage.

Municipalities and other agencies can find out more about the program at IllegalDumpFreePA.org, or contact Rob Dubas by sending email to: rdubas@keeppabeautiful.org or calling 724-836-4121 ext 107.

For more information on programs, initiatives and special events, visit the Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful website. Click Here to become a member.  Click Here to sign up for regular updates from KPB, Like them on Facebook, Follow on Twitter, Discover them on Pinterest and visit their YouTube Channel.

NewsClips:

Volunteers, Philly Water Dept. Remove Shocking 245 Tons Of Garbage From Schuylkill River

Philly’s Dirtiest Blocks Get Surveillance Cameras To Fight Against Illegal Dumping

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KPB: Two Men Cited In Crackdown On Illegal Dumping In Arnold, Westmoreland County

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Tri-County CleanWays In Butler, Lawrence, Mercer Counties Celebrates 25 Years Of Keeping PA Beautiful

[Posted: Dec. 19, 2018]

12/24/2018