Community clean-up clears out tons of junk

MEADOWBROOK — Residents rolled through the community this past weekend as they cleared out tons of junk and debris.

Madison County and Fort Russell Township officials teamed up Friday and Saturday (May 4 and 5) to hold the 5^th annual Community Clean Up. Items were collected at the Township Highway Department.

County Board member Tom McRae, of Bethalto, said he is pleased with the work done by everyone.

“It was a cooperative effort by the county and the township,” McRae said. “It was a successful event.”

McRae credited Kim Petzing, the resource management coordinator with Planning and Development, for putting together the event and Township Highway Commissioner Todd Shaw for providing staff to assist.

“This event gives people an opportunity to get rid of large items and electronics they normally wouldn’t be able to,” Shaw said.

Shaw said the event started after the county received numerous complaints about large items being dumped and property owners not clearing debris and other items from their land.

“We had a lot of roadside dumping and the annual clean up helps deter it,” he said.

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It costs a resident between $5 and $25 per electronic item to take a television or computer monitor to a recycler.

McRae, who also assisted in the event, said he was amazed by the amount of items dropped off.

“A guy driving a lawn mower with a cart on the back filled with furniture showed up,” he said.

He said although crews worked hard they did have some fun.

Shaw agreed.

“It’s not your average day for the highway department,” he said. “We got to get out and see the public. It’s not something we get to do every day.”

Petzing said the Meadowbrook event was one of three events sponsored by Planning and Development this spring. She said the first event was for electronics only on April 21 in Madison and an upcoming event will be held June 8 and 9 in Choteau Township.

She said the county has a limited amount of funds available for clean-up events and tries to get into the communities that do not provide services to pick up large items by the municipalities waste hauler. The county is able to cover the costs of the dumpsters and dumping and recycling fees through the “tipping” or host fees it collects from the landfill.

Meadowbrook collected 3.15 tons of scrap metal, six industrial/roll-off dumpsters of household items and more than 45 pallets of electronics. Items collected during the event included everything from televisions, computers air conditioners, washers, dryers, refrigerators, furnaces, home demolition debris and more.

McRae said the clean-ups benefits the community as it keeps residents from dumping along roadsides where hazardous materials leach into the ground and into groundwater.

“This has been the most successful year yet,” McRae said.

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