Cindy Lynch says enforcement gaps leave illegal dumping at Lebanon convenience center unresolved

Cindy Lynch, who delivered the solid waste report to the Wilson County stormwater board, said staff found an extensive illegal-dumping incident at the Lebanon convenience center on June 10 and recovered nearly half a dumpster of household trash. "We picked up, almost a half of a dumpster full of garbage," Lynch said, and staff pulled names from mail found in the bags.

Lynch told board members she tried to pursue warrants but encountered resistance from prosecutors and city codes officers. "They're telling me that we have no grounds to prosecute them for illegal dumping because I didn't see it happen even though their garbage was out there and we pulled their names out," she said. Lynch and others described attempts to work with county deputies and city codes staff but said the cases stalled without direct observation or clear video evidence that could read license plates. "Unless you actually can read their tags and watch them throw that bag of garbage down, you have no grounds," she said.

Board members discussed options including adding cameras at convenience centers, coordinating rapid responses by county deputies, and inviting the state highway patrol to a future meeting to plan enforcement. A member suggested cameras but cautioned about costs and vandalism; Lynch said the county is "in the process now of putting one there" but emphasized that video must clearly show the act to support prosecution.

In her report Lynch also said recycling revenue and tonnage were up year over year (about $9,500 and roughly 3 tons) and that the department pulled 483 loads from seven convenience centers in June. She asked the board for direction on how to proceed with enforcement and promised to work with county deputies and the state highway patrol to develop a plan.

The board approved the solid waste report by voice vote; no separate formal enforcement action was recorded during the meeting.