BALTIMORE (WBFF) — In Leakin Park, where wildlife struggles for survival, neighbors and activists say illegal dumping has turned part of the west Baltimore park into a growing threat to the woods and the people who live nearby.
A park road leading to a city pumping station is lined with piles of trash, including sofas, cushions, tires, broken furniture and debris stretching as far as the eye can see.
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Activist Kenny Ebron said the trash creates a serious safety risk.
“It’s dangerous. If it catches on fire it’s going through the woods. It’s going through the woods,” Ebron said.
Neighbors said the city recently cleared much of the debris, but it returned a few days later.
Ebron said the area needs more deterrents.
“It needs cameras. It needs more light. You come around at night and it’s not that bright,” he said.
The dumping is happening in the same city park where, on Monday, sharpshooters will begin taking aim at the deer population in an effort to reduce overpopulation.
Ray Smith, who has lived near the park all of his life, said he opposes the deer cull, but is more focused on the trash problem.
“I’m not happy about it, but I don’t want to see it,” Smith said of the sharpshooters. “I’m more concerned about this than the deer,” pointing to a nearby mountain of dumped tires.
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Ebron said residents do not see the deer as the main issue.
“We have no problem with the deer. They come on our front lawn and they’re not harming us or anything, but we have a problem with trash,” he said.
Ebron blames the illegal dumping largely on escalating costs at the city’s landfill. Smith said illegal dumpers know there is little enforcement and little to lose.
“You need to put cameras. You’re going to put all the cameras on the street for cars…well do it here too,” Smith said.
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