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Volunteers Needed to Clean Up Dump Site

Volunteers are wanted for a weekend effort to clean up an illegal dump site in Lackawanna County. The site sits deep in the woods just outside the Taylor Rail Y...

Volunteers are wanted for a weekend effort to clean up an illegal dump site in Lackawanna County.

The site sits deep in the woods just outside the Taylor Rail Yards. A huge pile full of garbage, TVs, tires, drywall, and clothing, all dumped illegally on the future grounds of a walking trail.

"People are going to be walking down here and they're not going to want to walk past a pile of trash," said LHVA Volunteer Coordinator, Owen Worozbyt.

So the Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority is taking action. This weekend, several volunteers are set to come out and clean up the trash. It will make way for expansion of the two-mile stretch of trail. The plan is to widen it 16 feet, pave half of it for bicyclists, and lay gravel for runners.

Once it's done, it will be part of a more than 70 mile planned trail system along the Lackawanna River from the New York state border all the way down to Pittston.

"The main thing is, to get the dump site out of the way because we're going to be going into construction on this part of the trail hopefully by next spring," said Worozbyt.

Part of the problem with cleaning up the illegal dumpsite is the accessibility. Volunteers will not be able to use a dump truck, or heavy construction machinery and that means hauling all the garbage a quarter of a mile down rough terrain by foot.

"We're looking for 25 volunteers, and since it is such a remote location we're hoping someone will come out with a quad and perhaps a trailer so then we can haul a lot of this stuff out of here. It's very important to keep these areas clean considering this will be part of a 75 mile recreation trail people will be using on a daily basis, whether it's bicycling, hiking, or just walking their pets," said Worozbyt.

Volunteers can show up to help Saturday, November 5, at 10 a.m. at Depot Street and North Main Avenue in Taylor. Gloves and garbage bags will be provided to help clean up the dump site in Lackawanna County.

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