Dallas finishes cleanup of Trinity River illegal dumping site

DALLAS - After nearly a month of work, Dallas says cleanup has finished at an illegal dumping site on the banks of the Trinity River.

Illegal dumpsite cleanup finished

What's New:

The City of Dallas has finished its cleanup of an illegal dumpsite on the Trinity River, a project which began at the end of June.

Officials said 271 truckloads of waste were hauled away from the site during their cleanup.

Trinity River illegal dumping

The backstory:

FOX 4 first reported on the illegal dumpsite on April 10. A large amount of boards, metals, plastics and more could be seen spilling into the Trinity River unabated.

Shannon Bleau inherited the property from her grandfather, who owned the 11 acres along the river. However, weeks before his death in 2023, 59-year-old Kyle Boyd allegedly obtained the property by forging her grandfather's signature on a deed.

A judge voided the forged deed on April 9, returning the property to Shannon. Later that month, Dallas police arrested Boyd and charged him with three counts of felony dumping.

In response to questions, FOX 4 learned the city of Dallas knew about the illegal dump for years before making any arrests. The City Marshal's Office even put cameras up at the site in December 2024. Yet, according to an arrest affidavit, Boyd continued to make money from truckers who paid him to dump their loads at the property.

What they're saying:

"The city did an absolutely amazing job."

Gerald Bleau, Shannon Bleau's wife, praised the city's work in cleaning up the illegal dumpsite on their property.

"It was pretty shocking to see what we saw," Bleau told FOX 4's Lori Brown. "It was just overflowing into the river."

Bleau says even with the cleanup finished, the property still shows damage from Boyd's alleged scheme. Dozens of trees at the site have been chopped down.

Still, Bleau is breathing a sigh of relief that what he and his wife own is now clean.

"We're left with a pretty good amount of property, and it's still gorgeous, still beautiful," Bleau said. "It's so quiet out here. It's peaceful, it really is."

What's next:

The Dallas County District Attorney's Office said Boyd is free on $3,000 bond while awaiting trial. Boyd's case has not yet gone before a grand jury.