Dear Eastwick Friend,

Welcome back to the EFNC Legacy Dumping Awareness Series, your weekly Sunday newsletter dedicated to shedding light on the environmental and public safety crisis that legacy dumping has created in Eastwick.

Each week, we break down the long-term impacts of illegal dumping, share community efforts to fight back, and offer practical ways you can get involved. In this third edition, we take a closer look at the severity of the issue—from its connection to criminal activity to the role it plays in worsening Eastwick’s flood risks. The truth is, this problem runs deeper than trash. It's about protecting our homes, our health, and our future.

Let’s dive in.

Legacy Dumping: A Public Safety Crisis Hidden in Plain Sight

When EFNC member Ramona Rousseau-Reid set out to photograph dumping hotspots in Eastwick, she expected to find the usual scenes—abandoned tires, mattresses, and debris. But the lots had been freshly cleared.

That cleanup, she soon learned, was part of Mayor Cherelle Parker’s new Philadelphia Clean and Green Project, a city initiative deploying workers across neighborhoods to clear illegal dumping sites. While well-intentioned, the effort only scratches the surface.

“It’s cleaned today, dirty again tomorrow,” said Joanne Graham, another EFNC leader. “It’s like a Band-Aid.”

And beneath that Band-Aid is a much deeper wound.

The Criminal and Environmental Toll of Legacy Dumping

Legacy dumping isn’t just a nuisance—it’s a chronic environmental and criminal crisis, with serious consequences for public health, infrastructure, and safety.

According to the City of Philadelphia’s Illegal Dumping Report, more than 10,000 illegal dumping complaints are logged annually. Many involve construction waste, furniture, and hazardous materials—dumped not by accident, but by contractors and businesses looking to avoid disposal fees. The financial burden is substantial, with cleanup costs reaching approximately $48 million each year [source].

These are not isolated incidents. They are deliberate, repeated acts that violate municipal codes and environmental regulations. In some cases, illegal dumping is tied to organized crime, especially when it involves construction debris and industrial materials.

And the damage goes far beyond aesthetics.

In flood-prone communities like Eastwick, dumped waste blocks storm drains and water flow, exacerbating flooding during heavy rains. When debris clogs low-lying areas, floodwater backs up, damaging homes, eroding soil, and increasing the cost of disaster response.

Residents have lived through it again and again.

Cleanups alone can’t solve this. What’s needed is real enforcement, consistent surveillance, and long-term investment in dumping prevention.

Fred Stine of the Delaware Riverkeeper Network said it best:

📣 SECTION 3: Your Role in Ending Legacy Dumping

🚫 This is more than a cleanup issue—it’s a public safety issue. And it’s going to take all of us to fix it.

Here’s how you can take action:

✅ Report Illegal Dumping Immediately
Call 311 to document and report activity. Include photos and exact locations.

✅ Support Stronger Enforcement
Urge your City Council representative to back stricter penalties for commercial dumpers, invest in surveillance infrastructure, and prioritize Eastwick in citywide dumping prevention policies.

✅ Join a Clean-Up—But Demand More
Cleanups help, but they’re not the solution. Use them as a platform to raise your voice and demand long-term fixes.

✅ Educate Your Neighbors
Legacy dumping thrives where there is confusion, apathy, or silence. Let your community know it’s a crime—and it’s hurting us all.

✅ Stay Informed
Subscribe to this newsletter, and follow EFNC for updates, stories, and tools for advocacy.

📧 Email us anytime at: [email protected]

From the Archives

1. Calling all Volunteers for Cobbs Creek Cleanup

This article, dated April 19, 2016, serves as a call to action for community members to participate in the Cobbs Creek Cleanup event. It underscores the importance of collective efforts in maintaining the cleanliness and health of local waterways, particularly the Darby-Cobbs Watershed. The event aimed to mobilize residents to address litter and pollution, thereby enhancing the environmental quality of the area. Read more

2. Greenworks Philadelphia 2012 Progress

This piece discusses the city's sustainability plan, "Greenworks Philadelphia," introduced in 2009 with the goal of making Philadelphia the greenest city in America by 2015. The article outlines specific, measurable goals such as lowering municipal energy use, increasing recycling, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and improving air quality. The EFNC emphasizes the relevance of certain targets to the Eastwick community, particularly in opposing development projects that could compromise green spaces and environmental integrity. Read more

Until next time,

The EFNC team