More gunk bags found in Winslow

Published 1:41 pm Friday, April 17, 2015

Whomever is leaving plastic bags filled with unidentifiable food goo and dropping the stinky stuff around Winslow apparently hasn’t run out of slime yet.

The strange incidents of dumping that have beleaguered Bainbridge since early March have continued in recent weeks, City of Bainbridge Island spokeswoman Kellie Stickney said this week.

“We have had a few cases of the bags showing up,” Stickney said, but added that the contents of the sacks remains uncertain. “We still don’t know for sure what it is.”

The string of illegal dumping incidents began last month, and the pattern has remained much the same. Someone has been leaving small plastic bags — filled with an unidentified greasy gunk or soupy mixture — on top of garbage cans at city hall, Winslow Mall and Waterfront Park. City officials earlier raised concerns about the dumping and potential human health hazards and water quality impacts, and asked the public to help keep a lookout for suspicious dumping, but slime bags continue to pop up around Bainbridge. Another was found last week at Waterfront Park.

The city hasn’t given up on stopping the goo-bag menace.

“We’re in the process of developing a more sophisticated system of tracking the locations and trying to narrow down what time they are occurring. The police department is looking into it as well,” Stickney said.

Stickney said the city did get an email suggesting the bags could contain restaurant grease.

“We hope it’s not,” she said, and added that the city is ready to assist whomever is leaving the bags around Winslow with help on proper disposal of the garbage.

“We just want it to stop,” Stickney said.