The Salisbury Township Environmental Advisory Council continues to work on drafting a tougher anti-illegal dumping ordinance.

At the Sept. 20 meeting, Kreg Ulery, STEAC chair, said he would work on the draft and asked for volunteers. Rodney C. Conn, STEAC member, volunteered.

Ulery said that in his research of anti-dumping ordinances, he concluded, “What we need to do is come up with an ordinance that makes sense.”

As an example, Ulery cited one ordinance, “Anytime anyone dumps, they would have 30 days to clean up or the township would clean up and charge them, plus fines.”

Once drafted by the EAC, Ulery would present the anti-dumping ordinance to commissioners for consideration to adopt as an amendment.

The main area of concern is Walking Purchase Park, the 500-acre tract administered jointly by Salisbury Township, the City of Allentown and Lehigh County.

This year’s cleanup by volunteers, April 24, at Walking Purchase Park, resulted in two and one-half dumpsters being filled with trash.

The public education effort meets the township MS4 requirement. Walking Purchase Park dumping can pollute the Lehigh River.

Other topics at the Sept. 20 STEAC meeting included:

•Invasive species - Purple loosestrife and Japanese knotweed were discussed.

•Grass clippings - “Is there a way to encourage people to not pick up their clippings? The clippings go back in and provide nitrogen,” audience member Jan Keim asked.

•Compost centers - Township Commissioner Joanne Ackerman spoke about improving township composting centers and expanding hours.

•Road maintenance - “Curbing is to channel stormwater. Roads normally had a crown in the center. Slurry seal and resurfacing one on top of the other eliminates crowns and curbing is not that high,” Keim said.

“It happened on my street with resurfacing. There’s no crown and no curbing,” Conn said.

Detention pond - Ackerman recommended the township public works department take over detention pond maintenance, rather than depending on volunteers.

Lehigh County is holding a household hazardous waste collection 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 28 at Coca-Cola Park. Pre-registration is required. For more information, visit lehighcounty.org.

The STEAC next meets 7 p.m. Oct. 18 in the township municipal building, 2900 S. Pike Ave.