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Trio charged for illegally dumping trash along Oro-Medonte road

'What these people did was awful, we had to bring in a lot of resources and it cost us a lot of time,' says township official, noting trio are from 'neighbouring community'

Three people are facing charges after more than 60 bags of garbage were found illegally dumped in Oro-Medonte Township in mid-May.

After a two-week investigation, the Township of Oro-Medonte has charged three individuals associated with the dumping of trash that occurred between May 17 and the early hours of May 18 on 5/6 Sideroad between Line 1 South and Ridge Road West. 

Jenny Legget, the township's communications and public relations officer, said she could not provide the names of the individuals nor specifics about the charges.

However, she said the charges are related to the township’s dumping bylaw for "throw, place or deposit any refuse or debris on township property." She said the people charged are from a "neighbouring community." 

“When things like this happen, there is a detailed investigation process, and in this case the investigation was successful and the individuals were identified and they have been fined,” Legget said, adding she could not divulge the amount of the fines.

Bylaw officers were able to find those responsible by searching through all of the garbage that was illegally dumped, said Legget.

“Our bylaw officers have an investigation process that they follow, and they literally searched through the bags of garbage to find information that would give them an indication of who the individuals might be," she said.

“There was some discussion as well, but primarily it was figured out by going through those bags of garbage.”

Legget thanks the public for their interest in the case and for helping with the investigation.

“We got a lot of calls, and a lot of people reported it. People called and told us when they noticed the garbage was dumped, how much garbage they spotted, and any suspicious cars that were nearby, which was super helpful,” she said.

“The media was also super helpful with getting this story out there and sharing our social media posts, which created more phone calls coming to the township.”

If illegal dumping is witnessed in Oro-Medonte, citizens are urged to call the municipal bylaw division at 705-487-2171.

“What these people did was awful. We had to bring in a lot of resources and it cost us a lot of time,” Legget said.

“For the amount of garbage dumped, it took dump trucks to take that garbage away. And then, of course, it has to be disposed of.”



Tyler Evans

About the Author: Tyler Evans

Tyler Evans got his start in the news business when he was just 15-years-old and now serves as a video producer and reporter with OrilliaMatters
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