After Lowell clean-up effort backfired, household trash piles up

LOWELL, Mass. — Rocky Morrison was disgusted when he found a pile of broken appliances, electronics and other discarded household items feet from the Merrimack River.

“It’s a real kick in the knees. [It’s] frustrating,” Morrison said.

Morrison founded the Clean River Project in 2005, a non-profit organization that removes garbage from the Merrimack River. The illegal dump site along Pawtucket St. infuriates him.

“These are items that people don’t want to pay to get rid of. We see this up and down [Route] 110. They’re dropping their mattresses off, couches, appliances that they have to pay to get rid of,” Morrison said

The City of Lowell placed a green dumpster in the woods in late 2021. The intention was to provide a nearby homeless camp with a place to discard trash. But the city manager’s office admitted in Jan. 2022 the well-intentioned plan backfired when local residents began using the dumpster themselves. When the dumpster was full, residents piled the garbage up in the woods.

The city removed the dumpster, but 13 months later, residents are dumping refrigerators, air conditioning units, lamps, fans and other broken appliances.

“Now the dumpster is gone and the homeless are gone but the dumping continues,” Morrison said. “I think the city is going to have to block off [the access road].”

Lowell resident Daniel Chea walks his dog along the river every day but turns around when he gets to the trash.

“It’s getting worse,” Chea said. “[It’s] sad. It’s not good for the city. It’s not good for the neighborhood.”

The Lowell City Manager’s Office did not respond to a request for comment.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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