About 95 percent of all illegal dumping in Lee County happens in Lehigh Acres, according to a color-coded map provided by the county.
Illegal dumping is when people improperly dispose of trash on property without permission. Yard waste, tires, appliances, construction materials and household items are among the most commonly dumped items.
It’s one of the top concerns for Corey Leon, who has lived in Lehigh Acres since 2006. She recently witnessed a pickup truck with a trailer attached dump trash on the vacant land in front of her home. She said she contacted code enforcement earlier this week, but that nobody has shown up yet.
“It’s everywhere,” she said of illegal dumping in the area. “To do it right in front of me and then for nobody to want to do anything about it is what really makes me mad.”
In addition to being an unpleasant sight for residents, illegal dumping also poses a health and safety risk as it pollutes the land, soil and water. The debris also affects pets and destroys wildlife habitats.
In 2026 alone, there have been 572 illegal dumping locations in Lehigh Acres, according to the map the county provided. For comparison, Lee’s 2025 report states there were 673 county-wide illegal dumping locations.
Areas along State Road 82 and the Joel and Eisenhower neighborhoods in the eastern part of Lehigh Acres are considered illegal dumping hotspots. Lehigh’s most populated areas, such as the Alabama and Sunshine neighborhoods have fewer reported locations.
“I can’t stand it. It (illegal dumping) makes everywhere look trashy. It’s not pretty. I can’t even get anybody to come over here to do anything about the dumping. That’s my major problem.”Corey Leon, Lehigh Acres resident
Pam Moore said she recently moved to Lehigh Acres’ Eisenhower neighborhood. Six months of living there was enough for her to declare illegal dumping a persistent problem.
“I don’t want my yard trashed. I’m paying too much money for this (her property). Nobody wants to live like that,” she said.
Moore added that she’s even voluntarily cleaned up junk from an empty lot next to her home.
“That’s not my property, but even so, they throw that all up there,” she said. “We’ve done nothing but clean cups, paper plates and stuff out of the woods. When people come by, they throw them in there and we’re just cleaning it up all the time just so that our yard doesn’t look so bad.”
Another resident, Jay Ontiveros, has lived in Lehigh Acres for the past three years. He provides junk removal and cleanout services through his company, Clutter Bee Gone.
“I live in the area, so when I drive down and see tires thrown on the side of the road, it kind of pisses me off because it doesn’t cost that much to go dump the correct way,” he said.
How to correctly dump waste in Lee County
The correct way is going to Lee County’s Solid Waste Resource Recovery Facility, which is located just outside of Lehigh in Buckingham. It’s the closest site for residents to drop-off and properly dispose of their trash.
“It’s going to take someone longer to find a vacant area and dump illegally than just going to the landfill, getting the (weight) ticket, going to the county and having a proper tax write-off and dispose trash correctly,” Ontiveros said.
The county encourages residents to report illegal dump sites through the county’s government website. It takes approximately three to 10 business days to complete the cleanup process.
While every cleanup operation varies in size and cost, officials said in a statement that one recent cleanup in Lehigh Acres involved removing 31 tons of horticultural debris and totaled about $3,044, which covered disposal, equipment and labor.
In another statement, Lee County Solid Waste said that it is addressing the problem through a coordinated approach that includes specialized task forces, community-driven programs and strong enforcement measures. The task force conducts monthly inspections and cleanup sweeps across the county and meets quarterly to strategize how to reduce illegal dumping.
Still, not everyone is pleased about the county’s efforts.
“I can’t stand it. It (illegal dumping) makes everywhere look trashy. It’s not pretty,” Leon said. “I can’t even get anybody to come over here to do anything about the dumping. That’s my major problem.”
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