A Proposal for the Abatement of Illegal Dumping in Warren County Waterways

Abstract

Illegal dumping is the improper disposal of trash in unauthorized locations, such as rivers and forests. Illegal dumping in Tennessee has been an issue for decades. The Tennessee Tech Environmental and Sustainability Studies Capstone Class has focused their attention on Warren County, located in the Upper Cumberland region, to propose strategies for preventing illegal dumping and mitigating the problems associated with it. The negative effects of illegal dumping on the environment, on regional economies, and on local communities are significant. The proposals presented by the research group are meant to address many different facets of the issue. They include the use of GIS as a spatial database of illegal dumpsites and also as a potential predictive model, the study of microplastics and their prevalence in the river ecosystem, the negative effects of tire dumping, the economic impacts of illegal dumping, how enforcement of environmental laws and regulations have improved other communities similar to this one, and how community awareness along with environmental education can prevent illegal dumping in the future. The abatement of illegal dumping is a necessary component in keeping Warren County waterways safe, healthy, and clean.