Littering on State Road 1 near the Socorro landfill is not a new phenomenon, but drivers may be in for an expensive ticket if they continue to drop trash along the road.

The Socorro County Sheriff’s Office has received complaints about the littering for a long time, but they’ve been even worse recently, said Socorro County Sheriff Lee Armijo.

“We’re going to start sending some deputies up there to run traffic during the times that the dump’s open just to make sure people are securing their loads and not losing a bunch of trash on the road, and if they do, we’re going to make sure that they pick it up,” Armijo said.

Drivers could have to pay an expensive ticket if they get caught littering. The littering fine is $300.

“People can get flat tires, and it just looks bad. You just don’t want that. It accumulates, and it looks really, really bad, and we want to keep our community looking as good as we can,” Armijo said.

Cathy Cook | El Defensor Chieftain Editor