TOP STORY >> Trash in the woods behind base housing

By Airman 1st Class Regina Agoha
19th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

Bits and pieces of litter have been found scattered across the base. Over the course of years these pieces of trash can accumulate to become truckloads. It appears as if some people have chosen to carelessly walk into the woods, discard household items, trash and other waste they no longer want and generously pass them off to the great outdoors not realizing the ecological consequences their actions bring. Why would one toss tires, fast food garbage, and other filth into the woods, disfiguring the beauty of the base and causing others to work harder and pick up their slack? The natural resources office on base urges people to stop illegally dumping, take the time to deposit their trash in the right place, and respect their fellow Team Little Rock Airmen and the environment.

Throughout the years, James Popham, the 19th Civil Engineer Squadron natural resources manager, Joanne Carlon, the 19th CES capital asset manager, and others have found trash items such as tires, a mini refrigerator, kid’s toys, pooper scoopers, mattresses, old carpet, television screens and monitors, lawn chairs, and even a washing machine dumped into the woods, not only around base housing, but the entire base.

“We’re not totally sure that base-housing residents are the ones dumping the trash in the woods around their area,” said Carlon. “Some of the trash we find could have easily been deposited by the tornado in April.”

Popham also doesn’t blame base-housing residents, but finds the places where he locates trash to be oddly conspicuous.

“Behind the immediate tree line surrounding base housing is where we find trash, and that’s where the residents are,” Popham said. “When you find trash like kid’s toys and pooper scoopers, it’s hard not to think base-housing residents have a part in the littering, but we still cannot hold them completely responsible for these actions because we don’t know.”

Carlon wants everyone on the base, including base-housing residents to be aware that there are opportunities for everyone to recycle and get rid of their trash. There is no need for people to dump trash in the woods when there are facilities provided to sort trash and recyclables, she said.

“Base-housing residents have three opportunities to get rid of their trash,” said Carlon. “Mondays are bulk trash pickup, where residents can dispose of large items like broken furniture. Tuesdays are for regular household garbage pickup, and Thursdays are for recycling.”

Littering is illegal dumping whether people know that or not. Carlon urges everyone around the base to be on the watch for people who litter. If one spots someone carrying items and headed toward the woods, notify the 19th Security Forces Squadron at 987-3221.

There are consequences for this action, said Joe Ott, 19th SFS industrial security. If the person caught littering is a civilian, the Jacksonville Police Department will come to the base and assist the 19th SFS. If the person is a military member, the 19th SFS will detain the person and a report will be made. The report will be sent to that person’s commander, and he or she will take further actions.

When trash is found in the woods by Popham, Carlon and others, they have to take time from their normal responsibilities to collect them and place the items in its rightful place. Sometimes these items take time to move because of their weight, so it’s not an easy task.

To prevent littering, there have been signs put up in certain areas around the base, said Popham. An important prevention method is education. Knowing where to dump the trash and which items are recyclable can help reduce the amount of litter found around the base. There are many recycling bins around the base.

Locations for recycling on base are at the old Base Exchange, the Airman and Family Readiness Center, the small base lake and the recycling center. At the recycling center there is a drive-through service available Monday - Friday that accepts plastic, newspaper, junk mail, office paper, magazines, scrap metal electronics, batteries, cooking oil, cardboard, phone books, glass and metal/aluminum cans. For tires, since they aren’t recyclable or picked up by base housing garbage services, the City of Jacksonville Recycling Center accepts them.

Natural disasters such as tornados don’t need help in wrongfully relocating items and trashing the woods; however, the base does need everyone’s help to make sure that the woods and the entire base remain a clean place to work and live.