KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - An overwhelming case of illegal dumping has taken over a stretch of the Blue River Trail near Emanuel Cleaver II Boulevard – and what’s been left behind is both an eyesore and a depressing hazard.

City officials estimate that around 500 tires have been tossed down a hillside next to the trail, with more scattered along the path itself. The sheer volume of the debris is stunning.

While illegal dumping is nothing new in Kansas City, this case stands out for its scale, and every year tax dollars go towards cleaning up the mess, according to Kansas City’s illegal dumping investigator Alan Ashurst.

“We budget millions of dollars to clean up illegally dumped trash,” Ashurst said. “If you don’t dump your trash, we’ve got a few million bucks to do whatever we can for w

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