CITY ATTORNEY & DPW NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release 

August 23, 2006

Contact:

Alexis Truchan for the Office of the City Attorney (415) 554-4653

Christine Falvey for the Department of Public Works (415) 554-6931

Herrera Sues First Illegal Dumper to be Captured

by Newly-Installed Surveillance Cameras

City Attorney, Sup. Maxwell and DPW Chief Abadi Announce Lawsuit

Seeking Maximum Civil Penalties Against Bayview Dumper

SAN FRANCISCO (August 23, 2006)–In the first lawsuit of its kind against an individual for illegal dumping, City Attorney Dennis Herrera today filed suit against Wilfredo Amaya for repeatedly disposing large amounts of carpet and other debris in the Bayview/Hunter's Point neighborhood of San Francisco. Announcing the litigation at a press conference this morning, Herrera was joined by Sup. Sophie Maxwell and Department of Public Works Director Fred Abadi at the intersection of Thomas Avenue and Griffith Street–the site of numerous instances of illegal dumping, despite extensive No Dumping signage and newly installed surveillance cameras intended to capture video evidence of illegal dumpers and graffiti scofflaws.

According to the complaint filed today in San Francisco Superior Court, Amaya appears to have been captured on video in the act of illegal dumping at the site from a black van registered to him no fewer than 16 times since the dumping suppression cameras were installed this past April. The lawsuit also cites evidence obtained from carpeting dumped prior to the installation of surveillance cameras that additionally ties Amaya to other illegal dumping episodes at the site as early as December 12, 2005. In total, the City's lawsuit alleges, Amaya is linked to at least 23 incidents of illegal dumping at the Thomas Avenue and Griffith Street location. According to the Department of Public Works, total taxpayer dollars expended to clean up Amaya's dumping at the site exceeds $25,000.