As a nation that is a melting pot of ethnicities, religious beliefs and cultures, tolerance is vital to the fabric of American society.

But not when it comes to illegal dumping and litter.

Every Lawrence County resident — and all those who visit — should be proud of the cleanup efforts of the Lawrence Scioto Solid Waste Management District and its “Zero Tolerance” approach.

The district has cracked down on many residents who don’t maintain their property or just throw garbage along the rural roadways.

Finally the county seems to be sending a firm message that this won’t be tolerated and that offenders will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Everyone involved deserves credit for pushing this fundamental change in how the county addresses these issues. This includes the Solid Waste director Dan Palmer, enforcement officer Steve Hileman, the Lawrence County Prosecutor’s Office and the judges.

In part, this success has been because of you — the citizens of Lawrence County — who have called in with anonymous tips to enforcement agencies, letting them know about illegal dumps or violations and also who is responsible.

Lawrence County offers tremendous natural beauty and outdoor recreation opportunities. But nothing ruins that experience and tarnishes our reputation like garbage and other items improperly discarded along the side of the rural roads.

We need to tolerate many things in life but illegal dumping and poorly maintained property certainly shouldn’t be on that list.