Two more people received stiff fines for dumping non-recyclable items in a recycle dumpster at the West Side IGA store.

Shane Stoner, a West Portsmouth resident, was the first to appear in Judge John Thatcher’s courtroom Monday.

“He was disposing of carpeting and other junk in a recycling dumpster, “Steve Hileman, enforcement officer for the Lawrence and Scioto Solid Waste District said. “He pled guilty to the charge. He was fined $500 and court costs, 30 hours community service, one years probation, 30 days in the Scioto County Jail was suspended”

Delbert Bradford, also of West Portsmouth, who is reported to have placed a full size sofa in a recycling dumpster. “He also pled guilty. He was fined $500, court costs, 30 hours of community service, one year probation, and 30 days in jail suspended,” Hileman said. “Judge Thatcher also mentioned the fact that those items could damage Rumpke’s equipment.”

The two latest cases bring to five the number of people who have been fined in the last two weeks in Portsmouth Municipal Court for disposing of non-recyclable items in a recycle dump.

“It’s the ones that are abusing it. It is costly to the district,” Palmer said. “We have to call Rumpke out to make other pick-ups, plus we have to take our employees out to clean up these dumpsters.”

Palmer and Hileman said it has taken cooperation on all sides to obtain the convictions.

“We especially want to thank Judges Thatcher and (Richard) Kegley for supporting us with their rulings,” Hileman said.

Lawrence and Scioto Solid Waste District Coordinator Dan Palmer said his agency is using many techniques, including video surveillance.

“We’re using that, with the public, and that’s a great help also,” Palmer said. “If someone is there recycling and they see someone dump some junk in there, I am sure they would report it too.”

Palmer said he plans to take every case in which someone is caught contaminating a recycle dumpster to court.

“They’re going to suffer the consequences because we’re going to do our job,” Palmer said. “I want to assure the public that we are out there watching. Everyone that abuses this will go to court.”

FRANK LEWIS may be reached at (740) 353-3101, ext. 232.