U-Haul driver faces serious punishment for illegal acts in neighborhood: 'This is not going to be tolerated'

Three Alabama residents found themselves in a heap of trouble after allegedly dumping trash in a nearby neighborhood.

As reported by WBRC, three people in Fairfield were arrested after police caught them unloading trash from a U-Haul truck. According to Fairfield Police Chief Julius Hunter, the suspects were found dumping the garbage in an alleyway in a residential area.

"We observed a 26-foot U-Haul right here on the street and the individuals pulling trash and dumping it right here on this site," Hunter said, according to WBRC.

In addition to facing charges for their illegal dumping scheme, the suspects were also required to pick up the garbage they had tried to leave behind.

The city of Fairfield has a policy requiring mandatory trash collection for all residents. As noted by Fairfield Mayor Herman Carnes, the city has an ordinance prohibiting illegal dumping.

"No person shall throw, place or dispose of any trash, litter, garbage, refuse or like matter, upon the property or premises of another person or on the property which is in the possession of another person," reads the ordinance.

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While illegal dumping can certainly be an eyesore, especially when done inside residential neighborhoods, it can also lead to a wide assortment of serious health issues and environmental concerns. Toxic chemicals from unregulated trash can leach into the ground, polluting soil and groundwater.

The recent arrests are part of a larger campaign in Fairfield to minimize the amount of illegal dumping and littering in the city. Hunter explained that he hopes the publicized arrests will act as a deterrent for any potential offenders in the area.

"I want them to know that this is not going to be tolerated," Hunter added, per WBRC. "We're gonna investigate these sites and go through along with street and sanitation, and go through and see if we can find addresses and suspects and following up on these cases and follow them until we can get this [stopped]."

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