ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — More than a year after Hurricane Helene tore through western North Carolina, local officials say the cleanup isn’t over, and in some areas, the mess is taking a new form.
Federal debris programs that helped haul away thousands of tons of storm waste have ended. Now, counties are seeing a steady trickle of illegal dumping, from household garbage to construction debris, along roadsides and private property.
“We call it the invisible industry,” said Dane Pederson, Buncombe County’s Solid Waste Director. “I put it out or I take it here, and it just goes away.”…