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Environmental and Enforcement Office
1702 Noble Street
Suite 101
Anniston, AL 36201
Phone: 256-241-2942
enforce@calhouncounty.org
The Calhoun County Enforcement Office was established on January 1, 2000 by your Calhoun County Commission. The initial purpose for establishing this office was to provide Calhoun County with a work force “Litter Control” to remove unsightly litter, and illegal dumps from the county highways, byways, and public areas. Over the years, the office has expanded its duties into areas similar to that of code enforcement in other counties. To date this office is responsible for Environmental Enforcement regarding Alabama’s Solid Waste Laws, Criminal littering, Calhoun County’s “Public Nuisance Law” , Mosquito Control, and the processing and assignment of Court Ordered Community Service. The Calhoun County Enforcement Office is located in the Calhoun County Administration Building, 1702 Noble St., Anniston, AL. 36201.
Environmental Enforcement:
Enforcement of solid waste laws, local public nuisance laws and criminal littering. Initial reports on reported and suspected major environmental violations, which are then passed onto the Alabama Department of Environmental Management , Alabama Department Of Health and/or the United States Environmental Protection agency for further action.
Court Ordered Community Service Assignment:
Through coordination of the local court systems acquire court ordered community service clients for the Calhoun County Commission and schedule them to be placed with the Calhoun County Commissions Litter Control, and other suitable non-profit organizations. Closely monitor these clients and make reports to the local court system, and assigned probation authorities regarding completion or non-completion of court ordered community service.
Mosquito Control:
Seasonal program that operates from March 15 through October 15 each year. Established to prevent the spread of the West Nile Virus and other vector borne diseases in Calhoun County. The control is accomplished by systematic larviciding and adulticide processes that kill the mosquito on contact and prevent mosquito larva from maturing.
Litter Control:
Utilizing court ordered community service clients and assigned supervisors remove unsightly litter, and illegal dumps from the highways and byways of the county.
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PH: 256-241-2942
Office Hours: Mon-Fri 8:00 am to 4:30 pm
Court ordered community service assigned from the local courts.
Q. Who does court ordered community service?
A. Court ordered community service clients are assigned by the courts and supervised by the Calhoun County Commission. It is a labor force that is assigned to litter control.
Q. Are the court ordered community service clients inmates?
A. No, they're people just like you and me, who because of certain minor infractions of the law have been given probation and court ordered by the judges to assist the community through direct supervision of the county.
Q. What are the hours I will be assigned to work?
A. Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm. Saturday and Sunday from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm.
Excluding all County Holidays. You will have to report to the Calhoun County Administration Building - Enforcement Office, 1702 Noble Street, Anniston, in person to complete all required paperwork.
Please do not call - your presence is required to complete this paperwork.
Q. What types of offenses did they commit to obtain community service?
A. Usually minor infractions of the law where they cannot pay their fine such as traffic offenses, and other minor misdemeanor offenses or felonies. Instead of overcrowding the jail, which places a burden on the taxpayers, clients are put to work with the county to pay their fines off, and save the county thousands of dollars through in kind labor.
Q. Are these clients dangerous criminals?
A. Typically clients are carefully screened by the judges and probation officers before they are selected to perform court ordered community service work. In addition the clients are under direct supervision by assigned county employees.
Enforcement of solid waste, and local public nuisance laws. Initial reports on reported and suspected major environmental violations, which are then passed onto the Alabama Department of Environmental Management and/or the United States Environmental Protection agency.
All weeds growing upon streets or sidewalks or upon private property subject to this part within the city limits of the city or in unincorporated areas of the county, which attain such large growth as to become a fire menace when dry, or which are otherwise noxious or dangerous, and any accumulation of trash, rubbish, junk or debris, or any unsightly or dangerous walls, or any abandoned or unsafe construction of any kind or nature, or motor vehicles not in usable condition, or any debris of a burned building, or any abandoned or unused swimming pool, or any abandoned wells or cisterns, may be declared to be a public nuisance by the city governing body or by the county commission, and thereafter abated as provided in this part.
Q. What type of enforcement powers does the Environmental Enforcement officer have?
A. The Environmental Enforcement Officer has the power under law and by official appointment of the county commission as a “Solid Waste Officer” to cite all violations of Alabama’s "Solid Wastes and Recyclable Materials Management Act.", and criminal littering laws.
An Alliance of Regulatory and Law Enforcement Agencies
Alabama • Arkansas • Florida • Georgia • Kentucky • Louisiana Mississippi • North Carolina • South Carolina • Tennessee • Texas • Virginia
The Network is one of four regional environmental enforcement associations created by the states to promote and enhance the effective enforcement of environmental statues at the state and local level, with a strong emphasis on criminal enforcement. The Network encourages and supports the development of a comprehensive enforcement approach by bringing together all of the members of the environmental enforcement team: regulatory agencies, attorneys general, local prosecutor organizations and law enforcement agencies.
The Network provides local, state and federal environmental enforcement professionals with formal training courses, opportunities for professional networking, and mechanisms for the exchange of information.
The four regional environmental enforcement associations are the major providers of training to state and local environmental enforcement personnel; having trained tens of thousands of enforcement professionals to date.
Phone:: 256-241-2942
FAX: 256-231-1747
Created by the Calhoun County Commission in 1999 to rid the counties highways and byways of unsightly litter.
Q. What is litter control?
A. Litter control is a highly organized group of supervisors and community service workers that scan, check and pick up litter from all county roads. Daily there are two litter patrols with anywhere from 4-8 personnel dedicated to cleaning the roads.
Q. There are many roads in Calhoun County how do they know which roads to pick up?
A. During the first couple of years stats were recorded and analyzed as to what the problem areas were as well as the most requested roads for litter pick up. From these stats a computerized litter index was developed. Every month a listing of roads is generated by computer so that the litter control crews know where to go.
Q. If my road hasn't been picked up in sometime and its got a lot of litter what can I do?
A. Call 256-241-2942 your request will be recorded and entered into the litter index, and then your road will be scheduled for pick up.
Q. How long will it take to get my road picked up once I call in a request?
A. Upon being checked by a litter control supervisor, it will be placed with other requested roads according to severity. Which means anywhere from a week to two weeks depending upon the time of the year. Unfortunately some people call because of a few scattered pieces of litter, this does not necessarily justify a road pickup and it takes away time from roads that are in bad shape. Please only request roads that are severe, the litter index will get the rest.
Q. How much litter is picked up daily in Calhoun County?
A. One-half ton a day seven days a week or three and a half tons per week. This is a constant number because people are creatures of habit once a litterbug always a litterbug. Report criminal littering to your local authorities and demand action. Record license plate number, location of littering, time, and date as well as any description of the vehicle or person. Be a witness that will appear in court if need be. If your not involved with your community then your community is not involved.
Q. I've seen state inmates on roads in the county do we get assistance from the state?
A. No, the state inmates you see assist in keeping the state and federal roads clean; they don't assist with county roads.
Phone: 256-241-2942
FAX 256-231-1747
Homeowners can take the following steps to prevent mosquito breeding on their own property:
Substances that make a mosquito avoid biting people. Persons working or playing in mosquito-infested areas will find repellents very helpful in preventing mosquito bites. Repellents are formulated and sold as aerosols, creams, solids (sticks) and liquids. Use repellents containing ingredients such as diethyl phthalate, diethyl carbate, N, N-Diethyl-3-Methylbenzamide (DEET), and ethyl hexanediol. For more than 40 years, DEET has been the standard in mosquito repellents. Check the label for these active ingredients. Permethrin-containing repellents (Permanone) are recommended for use on clothing, shoes, bednets and camping gear. Permethrin is highly effective as an insecticide/acaricide and as a repellent. Permethrin-treated clothing repels and kills ticks, mosquitoes and other arthropods and retains this effect even after repeated laundering. Permethrin-treated clothing should be safe when label directions are followed. Permethrin repellents do not offer any protection from mosquitoes when applied to the skin. It is often helpful to use spray repellents on outer clothing as well as the skin. Protection generally may be expected up to 6 hours following application.
Oil of citronella is another type of mosquito repellent for space repelling. Oil of citronella is the active ingredient in many of the candles, torches, or coils that may be burned to produce a smoke that repels mosquitoes. These are useful outdoors only under windless conditions. Their effectiveness is somewhat less than repellents applied to the body or clothing.
Q. How does this program work?
A. The populated areas of the county are separated into 9 zones, and are sprayed with a mosquito pesticide once to two times per week. Rural areas are surveyed upon request and receive an initial courtesy larvicide with mosquito pellets that reduce the population up to 150 days. The requesting party is educated on reducing their mosquito population via commercial purchase, and other methods prescribed by the state board of health.
Q. What is larvicide?
A. The larvicide pellets used by Calhoun County are effective in that once the mosquito larvae are exposed to them they do not mature into a flying mosquito, but die of old age in larvae state. No wings, no fly, no bite!
Q. How effective is spraying?
A. Spraying is designed for contact kill only. This means what ever is in the air at the time of spraying will die. It will not kill anything after the fact. This is combination with resident education on prevention has proven to be a significant help in reducing the mosquito population.
Q. Will spraying hurt my roadside flowers, garden or my animals?
A. The pesticide spray that the county utilizes and how its dispersed only effects flying insects such as mosquitoes, biting flies, gnats, bees, etc.
Q. Are mosquito control personnel trained on how to dispense the pesticides?
A. Yes, they receive on the job training, and formal training when available regarding subjects like pesticide application, pesticide identification, proper application utilizing a mosquito sprayer, etc.
Q. I have a bee farm; will the pesticide used by the county affect my hives?
A. Yes, through cooperation with the extension office all attempts have been made to contact bee farmers so that there locations can be designated a "NO SPRAY ZONE". If anyone has knowledge of bee farms that are not known to this office please contact 256-241-2942 to receive an information packet.
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