Illegal dumping threatens local ecosystem, say Cameron County residents

SAN BENITO, Texas (ValleyCentral) — In Cameron County, residents are concerned over illegal dumping happening along a stretch of road running from San Benito to Los Fresnos. Now one non-profit group is speaking out, worried over the effect the trash is having on the area and the impact it could have downstream.

The RGV Fishing Area and Waterway Cleanups non-profit said the trash piling up in the area won't stay there. They've reached out to the county for help, but say they haven't had much success.

Where the pavement ends on Iowa Gardens Road, mounds of trash begin. Tires, old furniture, and even dead dogs stretch as far as the eye can see. The piles of trash lining the road are bad, but what happens to the trash if it sits out there long enough is another concern.

“This drain system will actually drain into the Arroyo Colorado, making its way out into the Laguna Madre," said board member Henry Rodriguez. "Then eventually from there, as we have an outgoing tide, all those contaminants, plastics, they’ll go ahead and end up in our waterways up in the Gulf of Mexico.”

Rodriguez said sea life in the area can then become affected. Sea turtles can mistake plastic bags for jellyfish and ingest them while microplastics can end up in the fish we eat. “We go out and fish, catch for meals, and what we’re going to end up seeing is those microplastics back in our food," Rodriguez said.

The managing director of the group, Richard Hitchcox, said Cameron County officials had been silent on the matter. “I sent an email to the county judge, county commissioners, and about eight or ten other county officials. I’ve received no response to my email.”

Hitchcox added that eventually, law enforcement officials began looking in some of the trash bags that had been dumped. Officials searched for any identifying information in the bags about the people throwing trash in the area. Hitchcox said he's unaware of anyone being cited or fined based on those searches.

When it comes to enforcement, Hitchcox said he'd like to see cameras placed in the area, as well as an increased police presence. “Whether it be constables, sheriff’s deputies, whoever it is. If they see an increase of that here in this area, it’s going to decrease the illegal dumping," Hitchcox said.

County Commissioner David Garza represents Precinct 3, which includes the Iowa Gardens area, and is aware of the dumping. ValleCentral reached out to Garza for comment but didn't hear back.

Hitchcox said his group and other volunteers will clean up this area in two stages. On March 4, with the help of local businesses, they'll bring in heavy equipment to haul away the big stuff. Then, on March 9, workers will pick up the smaller items.