The city spends about $48 million every year on cleanup efforts. A large part of that cleanup is illegal dumping.
The city's efforts are featured in a new half-hour special by ABC stations called "Our Home: Earth Month." It details one dumping incident that was particularly egregious.
"About 4,000 tires that were illegally dumped right down this hill," said Philadelphia City Councilmember Anthony Phillips (D - District 9) as he walked through Tacony Creek Park in the Crescentville section of Northeast Philadelphia
The mountain of rubber was dumped in the park in March.
"When I first saw those 4,000 tires piled up at Tacony Creek Park, I was frustrated," said Phillips.
It was unsightly but-unfortunately-not unusual.
"Illegal dumping is a significant issue in the city of Philadelphia," said Phillips.
The 6abc Data Team found that from April of last year to March this year, there were about 21,500 illegal dumping complaints in Philadelphia. That's actually a 4% decrease compared to the previous year, and it's about half the number of complaints as New York City; however, the rate of illegal dumping complaints in Philadelphia is higher than in other big cities.
It's three times the rate of New York and Chicago and quadruple the rate of Houston. Those tough numbers call for a tougher approach. That's why the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office has gotten even more involved in the fight against illegal dumping.
"We are bringing people who have done really serious criminal cases to this work so we can stop the dumping," said District Attorney Larry Krasner (D-Philadelphia). "It's a big problem in every major city. For a very simple reason. It costs money to go to the dump."
Krasner announced the new Cleaner and Greener Enforcement Unit in April. It will operate under the Economic Crimes Division of the district attorney's office, tracking and prosecuting Illegal dumpers.
"For the most part, jail time has not been sought after the offenders who were doing the most prolific dumping, but that will most likely change," said Assistant District Attorney Teresa Benavides-Sexton. "We are going to be working alongside the law department, the sanitation department, PPD (Philadelphia Police Department), and Pennsylvania State Police."
All are concerned about how illegal dumping impacts not only aesthetics, but also the environment.
"It's disastrous for our clean water, and has a sweeping impact," said Krasner.
"It impacts our air," said Phillips.
Dumpers who ignore warning signs -- and even security cameras-- will be under the watchful eye of the city and residents who can call an illegal dumping hotline.
"I definitely feel like people do care about the neighborhood and the space around them. If they have to live in these neighborhoods, I'm sure they want them to be clean," said Jada Rudisill of the Cleaner and Greener Enforcement Unit.
Residents were among those who came to the rescue to clean up the thousands of tires from Tacony Creek Park.
"We were out here just rolling tires up the hill," said Phillips, who was among the 200 volunteers. "Listen, we were rolling and rolling! We were out her dirty! I'm in my suit now, but I was dirty!"
As authorities get closer to tracking down the culprits who dumped tires there, they have a warning for other would-be dumpers.
"You cannot dump here. You will not dump here," said Benavides-Sexton, "and if you are dumping in this neighborhood, you will be prosecuted."
Encouraging would-be illegal dumpers to take the legal route instead, Krasner communicated his message with a catchy rhyme: "Don't be a chump, go to the dump," he said.
Philadelphia's work to curb illegal dumping is one of the stories from ABC stations across the country featured in the new half-hour special called "Our Home: Earth Month." The special will begin streaming tonight at 10 p.m. everywhere you stream, including the 6abc streaming app.