Illegal dumping has been a big issue in the city of Newburgh for years, according to Mayor Torrance Harvey. Some neighbors are taking it upon themselves to pick up trash regularly in the city’s worst dumping areas and to push local leaders to do more about this issue.

Newburgh resident Maggie Mehr, a Newburgh resident for more than 30 years, is sick of seeing trash on the ground in her neighborhood.

“There's always been dumping, but since the Orange County transfer station closed on 17K, I think, because of all the construction, a lot of people who are doing construction just dump construction stuff,” said Mehr.

One problem Mehr says is she sees a lack of garbage cans.

“There should be trash cans on most corners. There needs to be more bulk pickup, because a lot of people who live here don't have big vehicles where they can drive to the dump,” said Mehr.

Mehr believes that the problem is not just about city officials. It’s also on the people who live here.

“Everybody sees there's a pile and everybody's just like, adds to it, adds to it,” said Mehr.

Mehr eventually decided to take matters into her own hands. She created a Facebook group called “Keep Newburgh Beautiful.” Members get together on a regular basis to pick up trash in their communities.

Mehr has also teamed up with DPW to allow people to report trash that’s been dumped when they see it.

Mehr says it comes down to taking pride in your community.

“It was perfectly beautiful many years ago, and then it's just been … let go and everybody goes ‘oh, that's just Newburgh,’ and I’m like ‘I am not OK with that. I am not OK with that,’ ” Mehr said. “It is not just Newburgh. Newburgh is beautiful and wonderful. So we're going to keep Newburgh beautiful and make it back to its former glory.”