680 kg in trash illegally dumped in 1 day at conservation areas: ERCA

Workers with the Essex Region Conservation Authority (ERCA) had to pick up bags of used kitty litter off the parking lot of the Tremblay Beach Conservation Area on Monday among other illegal dumping.

Someone also dropped a load of construction material in the parking lot at the Devonwood Conservation Area.

In total, 680 kilogramsof garbagehad to be picked up at the southwestern Ontario sites, in the worst dumping the ERCAhasever seen.

"What this does is it uses up our staff's time and it really detracts from the experience for all the other visitors. So we're encouraging people not to do that kind of activity," said Kevin Money, director of conservation services with ERCA.

Jim Randall, who was at Devonwoodon Tuesday, called the garbage-dumping problemappalling.

"People use this as a dumping ground for whatever they don't want to put out at the curb, and I don't know why they do that. It's disgusting."

When speaking with CBCNews, Randallreferenced a truck in the parking lothe believed was responsible for dumping garbage in the park's bins.

CBC has not verified the allegation, butMoney said he would be contacting police about it.

ERCAalso wants people to stop pinning artwork on trees at Kopegaron Woods and McAuliffeWoods.

"That type of material such as bird boxes or various wreaths and things like that, they don't actually belong in our areas, because there is some harm to wildlife potentially associated with that," said Money.

ERCAis urginganyone witnessing garbage dumping to contact police using a non-emgergency number, or by calling the number on the Park Watch signs in conservation areas.