TPS issue public advisory: Hefty fines can be handed out for littering

**TIMMINS POLICE NEWS RELEASE**

The Timmins Police Service is in receipt of persistent and numerous complaints in regards to the either willful, or careless, littering affecting the area leading to the city’s waste management facilities on Pine Street South.
This issue focuses on the overwhelming amounts of garbage, refuse, and household waste items that are being discarded in the ditches along the section of Pine St South commencing at Evelyn Crescent and onward to the entrance of the city’s landfill site itself.

Of late, there has been a notable and highly visible increase in the amount of garbage and pollutants in these ditches.
This problem primarily stems from those persons who are driving out to the city’s waste management facilities without taking the necessary precautions to secure their loads of trash.

This issue has been particularly noticeable during the recent “no tipping fee” week.
In addition, there is runoff water flowing over the discarded containers that hold or held varied toxic and hazardous products in the ditches adjacent to the affected section of roadway.

These waters will eventually find their way to the Mattagami River.
Local residents in this area have taken it upon themselves to clean up the areas near their respective properties.
While commendable, these undertakings are the result of the carelessness of others.

That said, the Timmins Police Service is issuing a public advisory to local motorists that the legal requirements concerning “littering on a highway” (Pine Street South) and “insecure loads” are clearly defined under the Highway Traffic Act.

The Timmins Police Service cite the following pertinent sections of the Ontario Highway Traffic Act and the offences identified and defined within each.of these sections.
Littering on a highway:.

Every person who throws or deposits or causes to be deposited any glass, nails, tacks or scraps of metal or any rubbish, refuse, waste or litter upon, along or adjacent to a highway, except in receptacles provided for the purpose, is guilty of the offence of littering the highway.

Overhanging load, Every vehicle carrying a load which overhangs the rear of the vehicle to the extent of 1.5 meters or more while on a highway shall display upon the overhanging load at the extreme rear end thereof at any time from one-half hour before sunset to one-half hour after sunrise, or at any other time when there is insufficient light or unfavorable atmospheric conditions, a red light, and at all other times a red flag or a red marker sufficient to indicate the projection of the load.

Proper loading, No person shall operate or permit to be operated upon a highway a motor vehicle that carries a load or draws a vehicle that carries a load unless the load is loaded, bound, secured, contained or covered so that no portion of the load may become dislodged or fall, leak, spill or blow from the vehicle.

Those motorist found to be in violation of any of these sections of the Highway Traffic Act should not indulge in any naïve expectations of leniency in regards to these offences.

Significant monetary fines apply to any offences discovered by the Timmins Police Service along with referrals, where warranted, to the Ministry of the Environment.

Anyone with relevant information about the identify of any violators regarding this issue are asked to call the Timmins Police Service – Traffic Section at 705-264-1201 or to provide their information anonymously by means of the Crime Stopper tip line at 1-800-222-8477 or by means of www.p3tips.com