Keep PA Beautiful Invited To Train Judges On Impacts Of Illegal Dumping

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful was invited to participate in the 2015-2016 Minor Judiciary Education Board’s continuing education program where they will be training the state’s judicial officers of the minor judiciary about the social, environmental and economic impacts of illegal dumping.  

From September through May, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful is presenting fourteen one- hour training sessions on illegal dumping including the scope of the problem, the environmental, social and economic impacts on our communities, as well as public opinion related to enforcement, cleanup, and prosecutions.

The information presented is based on recent Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful Research initiatives:

— Keep PA Beautiful Illegal Dumping in Pennsylvania - A Decade of Discovery 2014: Recommended policies and programs for future prevention and enforcement;

— Keep PA Beautiful Statewide Illegal Dumping Cost Research Analysis 2014 - A survey of illegal dumping related costs incurred by local governments and nonprofit organizations across the Commonwealth; and

— The Penn State Public Opinion Poll, Fall 2013 – A telephone survey of Pennsylvania residents on waste and recycling practices, enforcement, cleanup, and prosecutions.

The Minor Judiciary Education Board provides legal education to Pennsylvania’s minor judiciary, which includes Magisterial District Judges, Senior Magisterial District Judges, Arraignment Court Magistrates, and prospective judges of the above positions.

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful is anticipating an increase in the number of cases seen in local courts due the launch of their community-based Illegal Dump Abatement Program, Illegal Dump Free PA, which includes a significant investment in surveillance support technology and public education sponsored by the Department of Environmental Protection.

“Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful is honored to be a part of the Minor Judiciary Education Board’s continuing education program. Our goal is to provide resources and identify real solutions for the challenges that our communities face regarding illegal dumping,” said Shannon Reiter, President of Keep PA Beautiful.   “By developing an infrastructure that provides affordable, convenient waste disposal and recycling options for all residents along with a network of law enforcement officers and judicial officials who are knowledgeable about the real costs to our community, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, along with its partners, hope to change the way waste is managed in Pennsylvania.”

For more information on programs, initiatives and events, visit the Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful and the Illegal Dump Free PA websites for community resources to fight illegal dumping locally.