Stickney residents raise concerns about growing junkyard on Lumber Road

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By Shawn Merrithew

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Residents in Stickney are concerned recent dumping of old car parts could pose an environmental threat to the tiny community, and they don't want a junkyard in their backyards.

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PHOTO BY SHAWN MERRITHEW

Stickney residents are upset about the recent dumping of old car parts along the Lumber Road in their community. Department of Environment officials say they have recieved several complaints and an inspector is now investigating the situation.

Over the last couple weeks, resident Kendall Hawthorne said he has noticed the vacant property along the Lumber Road, which used to belong to Gerald Sewell of Carleton Metals, is quickly filling up with the old, rusty car parts. While Sewell did have a small scrap yard there previously, he pointed out, it was not too serious.

"But the stuff they are starting to haul in there now is," explained Hawthorne. "There are old motors and different things, and there is oil running out of them."

From what he has heard, Hawthorne said, the culprit is believed to be a company contracted to clean up old junkyards around the area. Already, he said, numerous truckloads of the scrap metal have appeared.

"They have only hauled in over the last week or so, and they have quite a pile of stuff there already," he said. "It don't take long to pile up when you have big flatbeds coming there full of junk to dump."

When the dumping is finished, Hawthorne said, he believes the company will bring in a compactor to crush the wasted material.

In the meantime, Hawthorne said, Stickney residents are concerned about the negative impact the dumping will have on the community, especially the environmental threat.

"We are quite concerned about this stuff because we are hearing stories that old school buses are going to be brought in, and it will become a major junkyard," Hawthorne said. "Years ago we had trouble with fuel in our water, and, with the oil and fuel running out of this stuff, we certainly don't want to get in a mess like that again.

"It also depreciates the value of your property," he added. "It is not a very good deal to have a junkyard in the backyard of your community."

Hawthorne said he and other residents plan to fight the dumping of the junk behind their beloved community. They have approached the Department of Environment to look into the matter to see if it can be stopped, he said.

"We are supposed to be a LSD (local service district) here now, and we should have the power to stop this thing, I hope," he added. "Somehow we are going to try to get this thing shutdown before it gets any bigger."

Department of Environment Region 6 engineer Roger Belanger said he received numerous phone calls last week about the dumping. He said the situation is under investigation.

"I think we got four or five different calls on that one case," Belanger explained. "So a file has been opened, and it has been passed on to an inspector."

Since it is an open file, Belanger added, he could not discuss any other details.

"But we are on to it," he said. "The inspector will do his job to see if the environmental laws are being followed or not."

Hawthorne and the other residents hope the investigation wraps up soon, and the situation is resolved before it is too late.