Palmer junk hauler cited for dumping over 500 pounds of trash on Mat-Su land

Alaska Wildlife Troopers cited a 21-year-old Palmer man after they say his junk removal business dumped more than 500 pounds of debris from a house remodel on a Point MacKenzie railbed instead of taking it to the landfill.

The pile, on public land owned by the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, included tires, a vehicle battery, paint cans, furniture and other trash, troopers said. After troopers interviewed him, he went back, cleaned up the site and disposed of the trash properly.

Troopers cited him Sept. 26 for littering and illegal dumping, and he is scheduled to appear in Palmer District Court on Oct. 7. Under state law, the violation carries a fine of up to $1,000, and a court can order someone to clean up litter. Because the debris weighed more than 5 pounds, he must appear in court. Smaller littering citations can be settled by mailing in a $50 fine.

A citation is an accusation, and he is presumed innocent.