Two men have been arrested after being caught dumping cooking grease into a storm drain — an illegal practice — after the Miami-Dade Department of Environmental Resources Management received an anonymous tip and initiated an investigation, WTVJ reported.
The men admitted to improper disposal of the grease, similar to a recent case in Texas, and said it was a regular practice at the restaurant where they both worked. Both men were charged with the environmental crime of willful disregard.
Dumping cooking grease into a storm drain, as one homeowner found their neighbor doing, is illegal because it can cause severe plumbing problems and environmental issues. The grease can quickly solidify in the pipes and clog entire sewer systems. If a sewer system is blocked, it can cause flooding.
While it may seem easy and harmless to simply dump cooking grease down the drain, it is important to dispose of it properly, whether dumping from a restaurant — especially harmful due to its typically large quantity — or from home. Grease can be recycled at specialized facilities, a great option for restaurants, or simply placed in a container once it cools and thrown away with the regular garbage.
Pouring grease down the drain or into the sewer can contaminate water, harm wildlife, and disrupt local ecosystems. If severe enough, clogs can cause raw sewage to be spilled into waterways and pollute rivers, lakes, and oceans. If cooking oil and grease are absorbed by soil, groundwater contamination can also occur. This affects the drinking water supply and irrigation resources, in turn impacting human health.
Grease can travel by water for hundreds of miles and not only cause problems in the local area where it is dumped, but also distant ecosystems.
Oil and grease can also affect wildlife, coating fur and feathers and leading to immobility and suffocation or hypothermia. Grease improperly dumped can smother aquatic plants, disrupting the balance of the ecosystem by threatening a food source for other marine life.
Unfortunately, it is common for restaurants and households to improperly dispose of cooking grease.
By properly disposing of cooking oil and grease, we can help protect the environment and avoid legal consequences. By staying informed and taking local action against those violating environmental laws, we can support our local ecosystems and the environment as a whole.
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