Anchorage crews haul away tons of junk from property

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) – Anchorage crews have hauled away hundreds of thousands of pounds of junk from a property in Bear Valley as part of efforts to address neighborhood blight.

The Anchorage Daily News reports crews recently removed 343 tons (311 metric tons) of junk, five drums of liquid waste and 21 junk vehicles from the property over a week.

Chief code enforcement officer Jack Frost says the cleanup that cost $84,000 was the largest in the city’s history.

The cleanup comes more than a year after a group of residents pleaded with the Anchorage Assembly to take action.

Since the early 2000s, the city had fine the property more than $300,000 for operating an illegal junkyard.

The owners challenged the fines, eventually reaching the Alaska Supreme Court, which sided with the city.
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Information from: Anchorage Daily News, http://www.adn.com