ATIKOKAN — A resident of Atikokan has received a heavy fine for for illegal dumping on public land.
According to the Ministry of Natural Resources, conservation officers began an investigation after a complaint appeared on social media in the spring of this year.
They found that construction materials had been deposited near Sunshine Lake, northwest of Atikokan.
That included more than 50 bags of siding material containing asbestos.
The accused person, Andree De Vabre, completed a cleanup and disposed of the items properly before his recent date in court, where he pleaded guilty to depositing hazardous construction materials on public land.
A Justice of the Peace in Fort Frances imposed a fine of $8,000.
The public may report a natural resource problem or provide information about an unsolved case by calling the ministry TIPS line toll-free at 1-877-847-7667, or by calling Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS.
