Heading into a heat wave, officials in one Maine town are talking about closing the beaches due to the amount of trash and vandalism in the area.
Because the trash and vandalism at Livermore beaches have gotten so bad, selectmen are considering restricting access to them.
"We have had issues with household waste, needles, human feces, and most recently, the worst case was a dead animal," said Livermore administrative assistant Amy Byron.
She said someone found a dead cat in a bag at one of the beaches.
People swimming at Brettuns Pond Friday said the trash issue has gotten worse in recent months.
"I’ve seen fast food bags, diapers, and sanitary napkins," said Heather Violette.
There were empty beer bottles and cans and nips on the beach Friday, in addition to scattered food wrappers and scraps.
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"It needs severe maintenance," Violette said.
Byron said the town has attempted to clean the beaches at Brettuns and around ponds, but they can’t keep up.
They have had to remove picnic tables, signs, and porta-potties because of vandalism.
Selectmen have asked law enforcement to step up patrols. They may consider making the beaches available to Livermore residents only, or closing them altogether.
"It would be very unfortunate," said Byron.
