NEAR EDINBURG – A Hidalgo County resident said bones, trash and unwanted critters have been plaguing his neighborhood for years.

Edinburg resident Alfredo Rubalcavo said he’s driven down Alamo Road for decades. He said people living in the area are tired of the mess and want something done about it.

“It’s been the same for 20 years. They dump it and they come out and clean it,” he said.

Rubalcavo said after the county’s clean-up, the junk comes back in a matter of days.

“It’s useless to clean it up. If the people don’t have the option to throw it away, they should put a sign or something to where they can get a can,” he said.

CHANNEL 5 NEWS learned the illegal dumpsite, located in the outskirts of Edinburg, falls under county jurisdiction.

Hidalgo County’s Precinct 4 constable J.R. Gaitan said deputies take note of the junk and alert the county commissioner.

“That’s who calls us to go out there and make a report,” he said. “We mark it for them and not until it’s marked, they go out and pick it up.”

Gaitan said county workers will go out and clean out the mess regularly. He said he will be adding more patrol on the area.

CHANNEL 5 NEWS also spoke with the Edinburg Fire Department about the area. Chief Deputy Ubaldo Perez said they will be posting a ‘No Dumping’ sing to deter violators. He said it’s up to the public to be vigilant and report any illegal dumping.

People who dump illegally in the state of Texas can receive heavy penalties. According to state law, someone caught dumping five pound or less can be fined up to $2,000 and face jail time of up to 180 days.

A person can face a fine of up to $4,000 and up to one year in confinement if they are caught dumping more than 500 pounds but less than 1,000 pounds. If they area caught dumping more than 1,000 pounds, they can be fined up to $10,000 and face up to two years in jail.