News 12 at 6 o'clock, March 9, 2010

AUGUSTA---Augusta is cracking down on illegal dumping. The Richmond County Marshal's office is kicking off a county wide sweep to clean up county streets. We are there as they investigate an illegal dumping site we first exposed.

It is a dirty job but someone has to do it.

"There has been a whole lot of illegal dumping out here at this end of the county," said Mark Johnson who is the Richmond County solid waste director. "It is time we clean it up."

We exposed the site along Patterson Bridge Road off Windsor Spring Road back in June 2009.

"News 12 came out here and got something done," said Angel Lastinger back in June. "Something that has been pathetic for a while now."

Crews cleaned things up, but people living near the stretch were fearful it wouldn't last.

"Lets say 2 to 3 weeks," warned Angel in June. "Lets see what's back there again."

"It's a mess down this road," proclaimed Corporal Omar Rouse with the Richmond County Marshal's office. "It's a real major issue. We get multiple calls every day."

It costs taxpayers hundreds of dollars an hour when work crews are brought out to clean up the illegal dumping sites. If you are caught dumping you could face a 1000 fine or time in jail.

"We are out here," declared Cpl. Omar Rouse. "We are watching."

This is part of a monthly sweep starting this year. One of the problems is that the county does not provide trash pick-up in Hephzibah.

"Right now we are talking about expanding up to the city of Hephzibah and Blythe," said Johnson.

The story was different back in June.

"Including Blythe and Hephzibah," said Lori Videtto who is assistant director of the solid waste department. "If all these people had this service the illegal dumping problem would be very much minimized."

So what's the deal? Will expanding service short of Patterson Bridge Road put a lid on the problem?

"If I pick it up at the curb," said Johnson. "You have no need to pick up this couch and bring it out here."

Law enforcement found medicine bottles with at least one name on them. They say they will follow that lead in hopes of tracking down the people behind some of the illegal dumping.

This all comes as solid waste begins work on a new trash service contract for next year. The department currently serves more than 60,000 people.

Solid waste will pick-up bulk trash including furniture, appliances, and tires on the 2-nd day of your trash pick up. That means that if your trash gets picked up Monday and Thursday -- the big stuff will get picked up Thursday. This could all change if the commissioners approve a suggested one day a week trash pick-up system.