Piles of garbage just off Delaware Route 1 and the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal got the attention of Delaware state officials.
And, yesterday, the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control declared the site an illegal transfer station despite the fact that the city and state had agreed to the practice six years ago.
The regulator found the site incurring six violations that ranged from odors and management of municipal solid waste to litter, runoff of liquid wastes and nuisance factors such as birds and flies.
The city manager said that he understood the concerns and that the town had agreed to keep the containers better maintained and covered.
The town official noted that much of the problem comes from the fact that there is a lot of trash that is picked up from the beach crowds.