Illegal dumping in Crawford Bay attracts Grizzly Bears
Issued: June 17th, 2009
ILLEGAL DUMPING ATTRACTS GRIZZLY BEAR SOW AND CUBS TO CRAWFORD BAY TRANSFER STATION
RDCK – Waste facilities on the East Shore chronically experience illegal dumping activity. Recently RDCK staff saw the effects of illegal dumping first hand. On June 7, 2010 the Site Attendant at the Crawford Bay Transfer Station encountered a female Grizzly and her two cubs attracted to the site by household garbage that had been illegally dumped. RDCK Resource Recovery Technician, Amy Wilson stated that “Our staff reacted appropriately and managed to safely avoid a confrontation with the bears. We are taking immediate action to reinforce safety measures to mitigate future encounters and will be closely monitoring the site for illegal dumping activities.”
Conservation Officers are concerned about bears becoming habituated to feeding on garbage, in particular garbage that is improperly disposed of or garbage that is illegally dumped. Conservation Officer James Barber has advised the RDCK that there has been a recent spike in aggressive black bears in the Crawford Bay area. Conservation Officers have had to destroy four black bears since March. Unfortunately, these bears were habituated and relocation was not an option. The eventual outcome of a habituated bear is death but this would not be necessary if we all do our part to dispose of our garbage correctly. The Regional District is currently investigating specific incidents of illegal dumping at the Crawford Bay and Boswell Transfer Stations.The RDCK is taking steps to combat and prevent illegal dumping at these facilities in partnership with local authorities.
Illegal dumping is a serious problem in the community of Crawford Bay. Illegal dumping negatively impacts wildlife, causes public safety issues and potential fire hazards. When people dump garbage illegally it costs everyone in the community. REPORT ILLEGAL DUMPING!
To report illegal dumping at an RDCK landfill or transfer station CALL: 1-800-268-RDCK (7325) or e-mail wastedept@rdck.bc.ca. Please leave your contact information, a description of the waste at the site, the location of the dump site, vehicle description, date, time and any other information that may be relevant.
Call the Ministry of Environment to report littering, illegal dump sites, burn barrels, unauthorized use of a dumpster or dumping chemicals, pesticides, used automotive fluids and other pollutants.
Report All Poachers and Polluters (RAPP) 1-877-952-7277
Contact:
Nicole Ward, B.Sc., P. Ag.
Environmental Services Coordinator
(250) 352-8192, nward@rdck.bc.ca
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