Fall River Mayor Offers Reward for Information on Mattress Dumper

FALL RIVER — Fall River Mayor Paul Coogan is offering a reward for anyone with information leading to the person or people who dumped a pile of mattresses in the city over the weekend.

In a Facebook post Sunday morning that included a photo of at least a dozen mattresses on Wilson Road, Coogan said $200 would be given to the first person who comes forward with information.

The reward would be given for details on the person responsible for dumping the mattresses between Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning on Wilson Road in the north part of the city, near the Freetown-Fall River State Forest.

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Mattresses hit headlines earlier this fall after a rule change from the state's Department of Environmental Protection that banned disposing of mattresses in landfills.

The change — which means residents or municipalities must pay to recycle old mattresses — took effect on Nov. 1, and aimed to slow the rapid filling up of local landfills.

Coogan wrote in the post that the illegal mattress dumping took place between 3 p.m. Saturday and 7 a.m. Sunday.

Those looking to claim the reward can leave a message with the information at the Fall River Mayor's Office at 508-324-2600.

According to Coogan's message, calls will be returned.