Arizona Website Focuses on Environmental Impact of Illegal Immigration
A new website established by the state of Arizona focuses on the environmental damage that is caused by illegal immigration. According to the new website, http://azbordertrash.gov/index.html, more than 2,000 tons of garbage are left in Southern Arizona due to illegal border crossings.
βAn estimated more than 2,000 tons of trash is discarded annually in Arizona's borderlands. A variety of federal and state government entities, Native American tribes and private landowners are affected by the problem, and addressing it requires extensive coordination.β
According to the site, the average individual who makes an illegal border crossing drops up to 8 pounds of trash - multiplied by the hundreds of thousands of illegal borders crossings in the state each year.
"The cost of disposing of this trash is high for local communities. Landfill fees range from $37 to $49 per ton in Southern Arizona. These fees do not include costs for materials, equipment, labor and transportation for the collection and transfer of the trash to the landfill.β
In addition to the typical plastic water bottles, cans, clothing, backpacks, and more, the site says that there's also a lot of medical and human waste left behind.
The website urges volunteers to help clean up the garbage.