During the summer months, Scantic River State Park in Enfield becomes a destination spot for locals and out-of-towners, but neighbors say its popularity is leading to its ruin.
Emily McIntosh came out to enjoy the scenery Sunday and found the park's beauty marred by waste, so several residents rallied to clean it up.
"Picked up everything from underwear with human feces in it to beer bottles to broken bottles to garbage. You name it, it was there, and it was bad," said Enfield resident Kevin Kibbe.
More trash – including used toilet paper – littered the park Monday.
"When you start talking about the soiled underwear and diapers, it goes beyond a littering problem. It becomes a sanitation and health concern," said Enfield resident Emily McIntosh.
Because of the growing garbage problem, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection banned alcohol at Scantic River State Park for 90 days this summer and will likely extend the ban.
NBC Connecticut crews noticed several large boxes of beer at the park, so it's clear not everyone takes the warning seriously.
"There's a number of enforcement actions over the weekend, arrests for alcohol and loud music, so that police presence by our officers as well as Enfield police will help curtail some of the problems there," said Tom Tyler, director of Connecticut State Parks.
Neighbors believe it's not enough. They argue that unless sanitary facilities, garbage bag dispensers and additional trash cans are installed, the problem will persist.
"Lack of respect. Some people just don't care. They have garbage? Someone else will get it. It's that mentality that's destroying the area," said Kibbe.
Regardless, residents plan to continue cleaning up the mess others leave behind.
Volunteers will hold their third annual park cleanup Sunday at 10:30 a.m.
