Causes: Trash disposal fees are too high for low-income residents to dispose of major items (especially for tires and large appliances). Communities and individuals are uninformed about alternatives to and the effects of illegal dumping. (See Resources to the right.)
Effects: Harmful impacts to the watershed and water quality from illegally dumped trash include: debris jams which increase the impacts of flooding, surface water contamination from dump site runoff containing chemicals, and significant health risks. Some health risks include: injury due to sharp objects, increase in rodents, the potential spread of diseases (West Nile Virus, encephalitis and Dengue Fever) from mosquito breeding in scrap tires. Perhaps the most important component of the illegal trash dumping problem is the continued lack of respect for the environment and how that can affect future economic development in the area. Economic impacts caused by illegal trash dumping include: decreased property values because communities become unattractive, and increased cost because of government clean-up expenditures leading to higher local, state, and federal taxes (EPA 905-B-97- 001 March 1998).
Trade your junk instead of throw it away at FreeCycle of Canton!
Also: Freecyle of New Philadelphia-Dover!
Ohio Dumping/ Litter Laws
US EPA's scrap tire information page