Arizona volunteers collect waste

Volunteers in the Navajo County community of Sun Valley, Arizona, collected more than 200 cubic yards of metal and 300 waste tires during the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality’s clutter-free community cleanup drive.

The cleanup drive is targeting unincorporated areas around the state where illegal dumping has created major problems over the years. ADEQ’s community liaisons have been working in conjunction with community leaders to organize the events.

Sun Valley, located northeast of Holbrook, was selected as the first site of the ADEQ initiative because illegally dumped items have cluttered many arroyos and the general landscape in the area for years.

Navajo County, the City of Holbrook and Sun Valley Fire District also were co-sponsors of the event, along with ADEQ. Navajo County and Holbrook equally shared the costs for the disposal of the materials in (4) 40 cubic yard rolloff containers used during the event. The fire district provided volunteer labor for the cleanup drive.