Volunteers clean up trash left by illegals

The Arizona Department of Environmental Equality sponsored trash pickups in Tubac and Tumacacori aimed at removing waste left by illegal immigrants.

An estimated 10,000 pounds of water bottles, food containers and other waste were cleaned up and moved to the Rio Rico landfill, said Steve Owens, director of ADEQ.

The trashing of the desert by border-crossers is a huge problem, said Owens.

“We have been working with officials at the federal and local levels, as well as community groups, to develop a strategy for addressing this enormous issue and organizing cleanups of waste that has been left in the desert,” Owens said in a news release.

ADEQ is participating in the cleanups as part of its Undocumented Migrant Waste Project, through the department’s Office of Border Environmental Protection. The specialized office, based in Tucson, also works on border environmental issues related to air and water quality, among other issues.

But the priority is illegal dumping, which “poses a serious threat to public health and the environment, as well as to the well-being of communities,” Owens said.

More than 50 people volunteered at the three cleanups, which took place in:

Rancho Esperanza, a 300-acre property south of Tubac managed by the Tucson Audubon Chapter; volunteers were members of the Audubon Society

The community of Tubac; organized by students from the Rio Rico High School Interact Club and assisted by Friends of the Santa Cruz River, the Anza Trail Coalition of Arizona, and local residents

The Tumacacori National Historic Park — which has seen a build-up of waste along the Santa Cruz River — with the help of rangers and park volunteers.

Groups that would like to volunteer for future projects should contact ADEQ at communications@azdeq.gov.

jrichardson@gvnews.com | 547-9726