The Alabama Department of Environmental Management recently issued its findings to Selma Mayor George Evans in regards to solid municipal waste dumped behind the ballfields at the Selma-Dallas County Sportsplex.

The emergency administrative order states “the city of Selma is the operator of an unauthorized dump located off Landline Road, which is the subject of this order.”

The releases says Alabama Code 22-27-2(36) defines an unauthorized dump as “any collection of solid wastes either dumped or caused to be dumped or placed on any public or private property, whether or not regularly used and not having a permit from the department.”

The release also references Alabama Code 22-27-10(b) which states “the creation, contribution to, or operation of an unauthorized dump is declared to be a public nuisance per se, a menace to public health, and a violation of this article.”

On Aug. 24, ADEM personnel conducted an inspection of the facility and documented the existence of an unauthorized dump.

The unauthorized waste was listed as electronic waste, household waste, and construction and demolition waste.

The report also states city of Selma personnel were observed during the inspection actively disposing of solid waste at the facility and said they were instructed to dump there by their management.

ADEM’s report said “the city of Selma shall submit an abatement plan within 30 days of the execution of this order, in accordance with ADEM Admin. Code div. 13 regulations, to the department for review and approval.”

The city of Selma was also asked to document abatement activities by submitting: a time period in which the abatement activities occurred; total volume of waste removed from the property; documentation that all regulated waste, to include both surface and subsurface waste, was removed from the property; a copy of all waste receipts documenting that all regulated waste was taken to a permitted landfill; photographs of the site, before, during, and after abatement; documentation that adequate sedimentation controls were employed to prevent erosion from disturbed areas resulting from the remediation of activities; documentation that the site has been secured to prevent any future illegal dumping.

During Tuesday’s Selma City Council meeting, Selma Mayor George Evans said he has already begun taking steps to comply with ADEM’s report and took full responsibility for the site.

“I take full responsibility for it,” he said. “It was meant to be temporary so we could take trees and limbs out there. I’ll take the blame, because I gave the order to the staff.”

Evans said the site was initially designed for leaves, limbs and brush. However, other items were mixed and picked up by city workers, causing a collection of household waste.