Northeast News
March 2, 2016

Recently, a spate of social media posts lamented a resurgence of illegal dumping along the Cliff Drive Scenic Byway. The offending pile was obviously dumped by a less than honest contractor who decided to defile one of the area’s most beautiful and pristine natural resources. Additionally, a vandal driver decided to mow down some of the “barrier” pylons separating the pedestrian lanes and the motor vehicle lanes. As for the contractor and the idiot driver, karma will surely find you both. It always does. The dog thinks that it would be better for karma to find him versus some of the residents who live in the area who are passionate about their neighborhood.

All this brings this news-dog to question why the original plan to divide the two lanes was altered from the hard, jersey barrier separator to the highly breach-able and easily destroyable orange pylons. The jersey barriers that were originally discussed would have made dumping over the side all but impossible. The present configuration may be cheaper, but doesn’t effectively and safely separate vehicle traffic from pedestrian traffic. The dog acknowledges that dumping could continue under either scenario, it’s just easier to remove the trash when it’s on pavement.

While the new pile is disturbing, it’s important to note that the dumping along the drive has decreased drastically since the 1990’s, when piles such as this were the rule rather than the exception. This pooch has led more than one Cliff Drive clean-up, with armies of volunteers and Parks Department equipment in on the assist. Standing waist deep in muck, mire and trash 40 feet over the cliff, then getting the t-shirt to prove it tends to harden the soul against those who deliberately jettison trash along the drive.

Closing the drive to vehicular traffic is not the answer. Doing so would kill an important revenue stream from the state’s Department of Natural Resources that provides maintenance and upkeep funds to the Parks Department for Cliff Drive. This dog recommends increased vigilance and increased usage of the drive as well as the strategic placement of security cameras along key areas of the drive to aid in the identification of said ner-do-well dumping types. One pile does not an epidemic make. Yet.