Public Works Ramps Up Special Operation That Targets Illegal Dumping in the Bayview

For immediate release: February 3, 2021

Contact: Rachel Gordon: rachel.gordon@sfdpw.org

 

Offenders Face New $1,000 Fines in San Francisco for Abandoned Waste Violations

 

San Francisco, CA – Public Works announced today the expansion of a proactive operation to remove illegal dumping in the City’s hardest-hit southeastern neighborhoods.

 

Crews are targeting abandoned waste in the area’s known hotspots four days a week, Tuesday through Friday, up from the previous two-day-a-week undertaking. The change comes this week as the City moves to step up enforcement against culprits who shamelessly trash our neighborhoods.

 

Mayor London N. Breed and Board of Supervisors President Shamann Walton welcomed the fortified operation.

 

“We know there is an unacceptable level of illegal dumping in the southeast community and our residents deserve better. This expansion builds on the work we have been doing to confront illegal dumping and is part of a broader strategy to support our neighborhoods,” said Mayor Breed. “I want to thank the men and women of San Francisco Public Works for continuing to be out on the streets doing the work, day after day, to keep our city clean.”

 

Last year, the Board of Supervisors approved, and the mayor signed into law, Walton’s legislation to raise the fine for illegal dumping to $1,000 for each offense. The law also gives Public Works greater enforcement authority and expands the definition of illegal dumping.

 

“Illegal dumping is a huge problem and really hurts the community,” said Walton, who represents the Bayview, Hunters Point and other neighborhoods in the City’s southeast. “We are committed to tackling this scourge with multiple approaches: ramped-up cleaning, enforcement and education. Ultimately, we want to get to a place where people don’t dump illegally in the first place. Our community is beautiful, and we won’t tolerate the disrespect that comes from trashing and dumping on our streets.”

 

Public Works street cleaning staff has teamed up with Recology, the private refuse hauler in San Francisco, which provides the large packer truck for the operation, to pick up the rubbish left behind on sidewalks, roadways and vacant public land. While the industrial areas are favored by the offenders, the trash also is found in residential areas and along retail corridors. Among the types of illegally dumped materials: construction debris, broken furniture, worn tires, old electronics, ratty mattresses and bags of household trash.

 

In addition to the four-day-a-week special cleanup runs, Public Works and Recology respond to several hundred requests that come through the City’s 311 customer service center every week to remove illegal dumping from the Bayview and other District 10 neighborhoods.

 

“Crews haul away tens of thousands of pounds of unwanted items annually, costing millions of dollars a year. But money isn’t the only downside,” said acting Public Works Director Alaric Degrafinried. “Abandoned waste blights neighborhoods, attracts rats, causes environmental risks, creates fire hazards and puts pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers at risk when the unwanted goods block the sidewalk and street. We are working hard and deploying new strategies to turn this around.”

 

The problem is not a San Francisco phenomenon. Cities and states across the United States, and countries throughout the world, grapple with abandoned waste. And the thing is, it can be prevented. There are plenty of ways to jettison junk without hurting our neighborhoods.

 

How can you get rid of unwanted items? Recology offers free bulky item curbside pickups for its residential customers. Booking a Bulky Item Recycling pickup is easy for San Francisco residents. Go to Recology.com, use the Recology app or call 415-330-1300. More details can be found here. Another option is to take unwanted items to the dump. For goods in usable condition, you can recycle, sell or donate them. The San Francisco Department of Environment's Recycle Where online tool is a great resource to find out how to discard just about anything. # # #