Letter to The Editor
March 17, 2021
Dear Editor,
I read in the March 10, 2021, edition of your publication about an upcoming Cassville clean-up event. That is wonderful for residents of Cassville, but what can be done for the outlying areas?
The county roads are a catch-all for all types of trash, and it is getting worse all the time. Littering has really gotten out-of-hand, and nothing is being done to improve the situation. Some of us are fighting it by going along a stretch of road in front of our properties and picking up the litter, but more must be done and soon! Just take a ride down almost any county road and look at the roadsides.
We moved to Missouri two years ago and purchased a home in the Mineral Springs area. It was not perfect then, but what it has become is just a crying shame! We’ve lived in two other states and have not witnessed the littering problem to this degree.
Besides trash everywhere, there is dumping galore, and there does not seem to be a solution to it presently. After speaking to a representative of the Dept. of Natural Resources, I understand that a property owner has the right to remove items from their home and place them outside on their property if they choose. (Though why they would want to look at a bunch of junk - old cars, appliances, wood pallets, etc. in their yard, I can’t understand) However, bringing items onto your property from elsewhere and dumping is illegal. And, of course, dumping on other people’s property is illegal. Regardless of the legality, both of these activities occur regularly in the county.
If the littering and dumping continues at the current rate, we will drown in a big pile of trash! Missouri has too many beautiful assets and sceneries to allow this to continue.
All of this has a negative impact on the lives of the residents who care about their property not to mention the depreciating value of homes in the affected areas.
Per the Conserve Energy Future articles, here are some serious problems with littering and dumping:
1. Litter can contain objects that can harm or cause physical injury to people or animals.
2. Littering can encourage the spread of pest species and diseases. The trash can provide the breeding ground for diseases and pass it through animals that eat them. If the trash collects water, it may also harbor mosquitoes that are known to spread dangerous diseases such as West Nile Virus and Zika.
3. Litter adversely affects the environment. Be it littering along the road, on the streets or by the litter bins, toxic materials or chemicals in the litter can be blown or washed into rivers, forest lands, oceans, lakes and creeks and eventually pollutes the waterway, forest areas, soils, or aquatic environments.
4. Litter can also block drainage systems and cause flooding, which requires money for intervention and restoration.
5. Plastic litter has often been mistaken for food by both land and marine animals. When consumed by the animals, they reduce stomach capacity since they can’t be digested. In the long-term, it affects the animals’ eating habits, eventually killing the animal.
6. Littered places just look gross and depreciate the aesthetic value of the surrounding environments. Similarly, it affects local tourism as it makes areas and roadsides look disgusting. The public and tourists also tend to avoid areas that are littered because of health issues and unattractiveness. It also causes visual pollution and affects people’s quality of life.
I suggest, as one resolution, for individuals or organizations to “Adopt a Highway” or “Adopt a Neighborhood” to help with litter control. That’s been very effective in my previous home.
I’m also willing to head any community group project.
Pat Cortesi
Cassville
Dear Editor,
I read in the March 10, 2021, edition of your publication about an upcoming Cassville clean-up event. That is wonderful for residents of Cassville, but what can be done for the outlying areas?
The county roads are a catch-all for all types of trash, and it is getting worse all the time. Littering has really gotten out-of-hand, and nothing is being done to improve the situation. Some of us are fighting it by going along a stretch of road in front of our properties and picking up the litter, but more must be done and soon! Just take a ride down almost any county road and look at the roadsides.
We moved to Missouri two years ago and purchased a home in the Mineral Springs area. It was not perfect then, but what it has become is just a crying shame! We’ve lived in two other states and have not witnessed the littering problem to this degree.
Besides trash everywhere, there is dumping galore, and there does not seem to be a solution to it presently. After speaking to a representative of the Dept. of Natural Resources, I understand that a property owner has the right to remove items from their home and place them outside on their property if they choose. (Though why they would want to look at a bunch of junk - old cars, appliances, wood pallets, etc. in their yard, I can’t understand) However, bringing items onto your property from elsewhere and dumping is illegal. And, of course, dumping on other people’s property is illegal. Regardless of the legality, both of these activities occur regularly in the county.
If the littering and dumping continues at the current rate, we will drown in a big pile of trash! Missouri has too many beautiful assets and sceneries to allow this to continue.
All of this has a negative impact on the lives of the residents who care about their property not to mention the depreciating value of homes in the affected areas.
Per the Conserve Energy Future articles, here are some serious problems with littering and dumping:
1. Litter can contain objects that can harm or cause physical injury to people or animals.
2. Littering can encourage the spread of pest species and diseases. The trash can provide the breeding ground for diseases and pass it through animals that eat them. If the trash collects water, it may also harbor mosquitoes that are known to spread dangerous diseases such as West Nile Virus and Zika.
3. Litter adversely affects the environment. Be it littering along the road, on the streets or by the litter bins, toxic materials or chemicals in the litter can be blown or washed into rivers, forest lands, oceans, lakes and creeks and eventually pollutes the waterway, forest areas, soils, or aquatic environments.
4. Litter can also block drainage systems and cause flooding, which requires money for intervention and restoration.
5. Plastic litter has often been mistaken for food by both land and marine animals. When consumed by the animals, they reduce stomach capacity since they can’t be digested. In the long-term, it affects the animals’ eating habits, eventually killing the animal.
6. Littered places just look gross and depreciate the aesthetic value of the surrounding environments. Similarly, it affects local tourism as it makes areas and roadsides look disgusting. The public and tourists also tend to avoid areas that are littered because of health issues and unattractiveness. It also causes visual pollution and affects people’s quality of life.
I suggest, as one resolution, for individuals or organizations to “Adopt a Highway” or “Adopt a Neighborhood” to help with litter control. That’s been very effective in my previous home.
I’m also willing to head any community group project.
Pat Cortesi
Cassville
