Wall workers accused of dumping construction waste into Mexico

Army Corps of Engineers investigating claims

PHOENIX, Ariz. (KYMA, KEYC) - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is investigating accusations that workers have illegally dumped waste from border wall construction into Mexico.

Crews in several areas along the Arizona side of the border have demolished metal barriers that once marked the international boundary. They're replacing them with taller bollard panels.

Reports show pieces of the old barrier litter the ground on both sides of the border at many construction sites. The claims say some Mexican residents take the metal and sell it as scrap on the black market, or to scrap yards in Sonoyta.

One construction company submitted estimates that it would recycle more than 7,200 tons of metal, and dispose of more than 100 tons of concrete debris and waste. However, the Corp of Engineers says reports on waste disposal and recycling are incomplete.

U.S. companies aren't authorized to dump demolition and construction waste across international boundaries.