Illegal dumping is defined as "discarding waste in and improper or illegal manner, where it does not belong and/or where environmental is likely because of the improper disposal." There are many reasons why people do it even though they know it is not the right thing to do. Illegal dumping on Oahu is a problem that is harming the environment and the people around it and is not being noticed by many communities.
There are many reasons why people decide not to dispose their trash properly. "This often occurs because proper disposal is too 'inconvenient', the perpetrator does not want to pay the disposal fee, or does not take the time to prepare the material for proper disposal." It is not very hard to dispose your trash properly so that it won't harm the environment. Less people are willing to give a little effort to dispose their trash properly. There are at least 16 different illegal dumping sites on Oahu. "Illegal dumps are... found in real communities, in sparsely populated areas, and along little traveled roads." Although some places may seem like they are not being used, people still use some of these places. This is affecting the people in the environment around the illegal dumps.
Illegal dumping causes a problem with animals and insects. "Aracelia Torres... [has] taken these steps in the past, but still has problems with mosquitoes. One factor could be the number of spare tires she sees around her neighborhood." Illegal dumping creates good places for mosquitoes to breed, especially when it rains. If there isn't any trash, there isn't anywhere for mosquitoes to breed. If mosquitoes start to breed in a place where there are people living, it will affect them and how comfortable they are at home. Mosquitoes carry around malaria which is a deadly disease. Illegal dumping also affects the natural habitats of small animals. "Improper dumping pollutes their natural habitats and can lead to death of fish, birds, and small animals." If we are contributing to illegal dumping, we are also contributing to the harming of animal's natural habitats. If the toxins from our trash gets into the animal's systems, it can kill them. Some of these animals are part of our source for food. If they all die out because of our trash, we won't have a lot of meat to eat.
With all the trash on the roads and sidewalks, there are a lot of people in communities getting hurt. "Broken glass on sidewalks and roads has long been a significant hazard for children... Other ways people can be injured from trash include stepping on nails and cutting yourself in shard, rusty metal." 15% of children under the age of 18 years old that are treated in a hospital emergency room for lacerations were injured by broken glass. Illegal dumping is causing people to get hurt. If everyone learned how to dispose their trash properly, there would be less people getting hurt from little things like glass or rusty metal. Although you may think that dumping your trash in a place where no one lives won't hurt anyone, it can find a way to harm a community. "Illegal dumping poses a threat to a community's drinking water... toxins leach out of the trash through rain water." If the water that leaks out of the trash gets into someone's drinking water, they can get seriously ill. Illegal dumping affects the people in a community a lot.
Overall, illegal dumping is dangerous and not good for communities, animals, and people. Illegal dumping on Oahu is a problem that needs to be noticed because it is harming the enrichment and the people around it. If illegal dumping continues, there will be an over population of mosquitoes, more and more animals will die, and our oceans and drinking water will be filled with toxins.
