From the air, Tangier Island looks like a slice of paradise. A tiny plot of land in the Chesapeake Bay, Tangier Island was settled in the 1600 s by hardy people, whose descendents still depend on crabbing and fishing for their livelihoods. The lifestyle draws thousands of tourists who stroll narrow lanes, in the village atmosphere of a time gone by. But, there are modern environmental problems on the island that tourists rarely see. Trash disposal is a challenge and Tangier has a tendency to foul its own nest.
Pilots are the first to see it.
It s a dump near the runway, where islanders pile stuff that won't burn in the town's trash incinerator. The practice is illegal, but people do it anyway. The reason, Parks said, is because only 650 people live on Tangier. And everybody knows everybody, and you're stepping on your uncle or your aunt, or somebody's toes if you do something. So, no one has done much about it.