On Thursday, the Office of Supervisor Diane Burgis, Contra Costa County, District 3 hosted a public forum on illegal dumping which costs the county over $1 million a year.
“This isn’t just an East County issue, this is a county problem,” said Diane Burgis. “Public Works spends on average more than $400,000 per year on illegal dumping cleanups on over 600 miles of roadway in unincorporated Contra Costa County. Unfortunately, by the end of February 2018, have already spend half a million for the fiscal year.”
Supervisor Diane Burgis
Burgis said the goal of the forum on Thursday was to bring key stakeholders in the County together to talk about the issue so they could begin to work on out of the box solutions which will prompted a second meeting scheduled for August 15.
Solutions were not discussed in great detail, however, the meeting served as an introduction to different departments in the county to educate what could be done in the future to improve the illegal dumping issues facing different parts of the county.
According to Joe Yee, Deputy Director of Public Works, he stated that they are working to ensure all residents have garbage services and educate the public on illegal dumping. He also highlighted how the Board of Supervisors recently implemented an waste hauler ordinance (Non-Franchise Solid Waste Hauler) which requires haulers who take things out of someones home to have a permit.
“Right now, its only for the unincorporated areas, we will be talking with the city’s to see if they want to want to point to our ordinance so they too can collect within the city that they would need this permit,” explained Yee. “It makes the hauler a legitimate hauler they would have to have a bond, show that they business insurance. We hope they have stake in the game and take it to a legitimate place… our next step is educating the community to make sure they hire a legitimate hauler.”
Yee explained that as of March 1, which is when the permits began being issued, no one has signed up.
“I can tell you right now the residents of Contra Costa County can’t hire a legitimate hauler because no one has signed up,” said Yee. “We have not had any applications yet.”
Jack Roddy, of Roddy Ranch for 46-years, spoke about illegal dumping on Deer Valley Road near Empire Mine Road
“In the last 10-years, the garbage has got out of control. On our ranch we have found dead animals in sacks, refrigerators, batteries, tires, chemicals, boats, you cant believe all the stuff that has been dumped out there,” explained Roddy.
He further highlighted how bicyclists are afraid to use Empire Mine Road which is shut down, because people break the locks off the gate and dump glass. Bicyclist groups will clean it up and more glass would show up. He further highlighted that some of his cows were killed by people dumping bags of marijuana onto his property.
Antioch Police Chief Tammany Brooks and Officers, along with Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock attend the forum
“One of the questions I have is people will dump garbage and we will find an address. We will call the person and the person will say its not mine. What do we do? Who is responsible? Isn’t that person responsible?” asked Roddy. “I think we strongly need to start putting the heat on and turn them in and do something about it. Fine them, publicize it and get the word out because if you leave here and go south on Deer Valley Road you can’t go 20-feet without seeing paper, bottles, and cans. It’s just out of control. Let’s take a strong stand once and for all and stop this because this is becoming the garbage dump of the county.”
Based on feedback from the audience, the group will come back at an August 15 (timeline) and have a discussion on possible solutions.
Some of the suggestions by the audience included:
- Strengthening penalties on illegal dumping violators because it was cheaper to take a penalty than properly dispose of garbage
- Towing vehicles caught performing illegal dumping
- Improve processes to determine who has garbage service and who does not.
- Strategically place cameras to capture license plates
- Tie garbage bills to property taxes, then distribute funds thus ensuring people can afford to take funds to garbage/recycle facility’s.
The following video from the April 5 event highlights the impact of illegal dumping in Bay Point as explained by the Contra Costa County Sheriffs Office.
Back in November, Sean Tongson reported that illegal dumping costs the county more than $1 million per year while the county. Meanwhile, the county is allotted $14 million annually to maintain the 363 miles of roads and grounds in Contra Costa County.
The speaker list included:
- Joe Yee, Deputy Director of Public Works
- Mike Carlson, Deputy Director of Flood Control
- Marilyn Underwood, Director of Environmental Health
- Dept. of Conservation & Development, David Brockbank, Senior Planner
- Republic Services, Susan Hurl, Division Municipal Services Manager
- Wildlife Impacts: Fish & Wildlife
- Joe Losado, Code Enforcement Manager
- Sheriff’s Office, Patrol Captain Brian Vanderlind
- Stacey Grassini, Deputy District Attorney, Environmental Protection Unit
2 comments
August is the next meeting? Come on, this will be lip service for years. The contents of this meeting as reported is already known by all. We need results. If no permits have been issued there should be an abundance of violations. Who will be enforcing this? When caught what will the enforcing entity do with the load of debris? There needs to be a dedicated crew or service seven days a week funded by the dumps. Look at the Keller Canyon fund list. The recipients are a far cry from mitigation.
Why not consider requiring the garbage company to decrease fees for collection of large articles? In November I paid $40/ ea to have 2 mattresses picked up. My sons friend decided to take one of them. The garbage company refused to let me substitute another article in its place but still made me pay the extra $40. Highway robbery. Luckily, I could afford the fees. What about those that simply can’t? (This was in Antioch. After over 40 yrs in the area, I moved out of the state and took my tax dollars with me.) Crime and the dumping of felons, drug dealers, garbage and the import of gangsters from Richmond, Oakland, SF, etc. are out of control.The area is no longer safe, or desirable, for hard working, law abiding citizens. The former, wonderful, safe, family community no longer exists. Thx liberal politicians! You made it. You can keep it!
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