On Nov. 25, driving on Route 141 over Mt. Tom between Easthampton and Holyoke, Juan Montañez noticed something other residents of the area might have seen — trash dumped on the side of the road. Having seen illegal dumping there before, he decided to take action.
Montañez described the pile of trash as consisting of cardboard and full bags, on one of the pull-offs on Easthampton Road heading towards Holyoke. He said he has been working in junk removal services for years and recently started his own business, Boosted Removal Services. Luckily, he was driving one of his hauling trucks when he saw the trash, so, he decided to clean up the site himself.
“Over the years, I’ve noticed it,” he said about trash on Route 141. “It’s been getting more consistent as of recently.”
Through his business, Montañez can be hired to remove junk big and small from homes, doing jobs as large as cleaning out whole mill buildings.
Montañez, living in Florence and working in the area, said he frequently passes over the mountain for jobs or to visit his father in Chicopee. This is the fourth or fifth time he has seen trash dumped along the route, having previously picked up a moldy mattress dumped there.
Once it became more frequent, he started picking up the debris saying it doesn’t hurt him taking two or three minutes to get rid of an “eyesore.”
“I finally came back one day and I just had the time to pick things up,” he said. “You can tell that’s a really common dumping ground because you can see trash into the tree line.”
After passing the Log Cabin on Route 141 leaving Easthampton, one crosses the city line into Holyoke. Montañez said trash is often scattered along the route, likely due to the windy conditions on the mountain, blowing and dispersing debris.
Holyoke Department of Public Works Interim Director Michael Gallagher said that the dumping on Route 141 is not a new issue.
“Unfortunately, the dumping on (Route) 141 is nothing new. It happens often …” he said. “It baffles me it happens on a road like that, when there’s always somebody driving on that road. Usually illegal dumping happens in an alleyway or somewhere secluded.”
Gallagher said having worked in Holyoke for about 26 years, littering is a widespread issue.
“We’ve had complaints and we’ve picked up illegal dumping up there quite a few times over the years,” he said. “It’s a recurring issue.”
Gallagher said it is difficult to monitor illegal dumping when a complaint is made or when dumping is witnessed and that it is an additional expense when city employees have to pick it up.
In an email to the Gazette, Holyoke Board of Health Director Timothy Rivers said in most illegal dumping cases, an inspector is assigned, takes photos and evaluates who owns the property.
If illegal dumping is on public property, it is referred to the DPW. However, if it is on private property, the inspector will issue a notice with a correction date. If left uncorrected, fines under the city ordinance “Failure to keep property clean” are administered. Continued failure to make corrections can result in hiring a contractor at the expense of the property owner.
Asked why they think people dump illegally, both Gallagher and Montañez said a main reason is the cost of trash disposal. Gallagher said the prices of disposing both residential and commercial trash has increased in recent years.
For example, he said the cost to dispose mattresses has “skyrocketed,” costing as much as $65.
“Some people don’t have the money to afford it,” Montañez said about disposing of trash and unwanted items.
One issue he has seen is people trying to get rid of couches or other furniture by putting it on their lawns, indicating it is free to take. But then, no one takes it.
He often reaches out to people who he sees has furniture on their lawns, but many people do not want to pay to have him remove it.
Montañez said his family is from Puerto Rico and he took a trip there and to other countries in the Caribbean in October. He said unfortunately, the countries have littering issues as well, but it particularly affects coastlines.
“In Puerto Rico, there are some beaches that are abandoned now because of trash,” he said.
He spent time there picking up trash to help the community where his family is from, just like he does in the Pioneer Valley. He said he does not know what the exact solution is to reduce littering, but anyone can help by simply not littering and help pick up trash whenever they see it.
Along with his business, Montañez hopes to build on his efforts to clean both in Puerto Rico and the Pioneer Valley. He said he knows he has ambitious goals, but he hopes his efforts create more awareness to inspire others.
“One of my end goals is to clean up trash, not only in my community here, but also in Puerto Rico,” he said.
