 A collection of household garbage was found on the side of Cherry Glen Road in 2017. Incidences of illegal dumping such as this are on the rise in Solano County, tying up resources that could be used effectively elsewhere.
Illegal Dumping
You’ve likely seen it along our roadways, casting blight on an otherwise scenic drive through rural stretches of our county: illegal dumping.
The illicit trash piles that seemingly crop up overnight are nothing new in Solano County, or any jurisdiction, for that matter. However, this troublesome phenomenon is on the rise.
In fiscal year 2012/13, Public Works received 120 service requests for illegal dumping. That number steadily crept up through fiscal year 2015/16, when service requests more than doubled to 256. Last fiscal year, 2017/18, the number of requests for illegal dumping clean-ups had skyrocketed to 455. This all comes at a cost to the taxpayer as Solano County spent more than $200,000 last fiscal year to address illegal dumping.
Illegal dumping causes a headache not only for the road crews that are called out to clean it up, but it’s the bane of landowners, who are on the hook for having the refuse removed on their own dime. Illegal dumpsites can contain everything from trash to construction debris, mattresses, tires and oftentimes include vehicles and boats. Illegal dumping can also put our workers, and the public, at risk. The person who is dumping their trash on the county right-of-way, or on someone’s private property in the middle of the night, is not likely thinking about how they may be putting a Public Works employee at risk out on a rural stretch of roadway, or the harm to the environment and humans that can occur when toxic chemicals are carelessly tossed away.
It’s important for residents to know that both the county’s landfill operators play a huge role combating illegal dumping and have free programs that could all but eliminate certain types of garbage from showing up on the side of the road, such as hazardous household waste and electronics, if only everyone would utilize them. For example, the Recology Vacaville Solano Recycling Center on Davis Street in Vacaville allows residents to drop off up to five e-waste items at no charge (for details visit, https://www.recology.com/recology-vacaville-solano/electronic-waste/) and up to 15 gallons, or 125 lbs., of a household hazardous waste, such as paint, motor oil and pesticides. In Fairfield, Republic Services offers free e-waste and household hazardous waste disposal at its Industrial Court location on select days (for information, visit, https://www.republicservices.com/cms/documents/rssitedocuments/3858/SD-Household-Hazardous-Waste.pdf). For more information on where to find waste drop-off locations near you, visit the county’s recycling guide, http://www.solanocounty.com/depts/rm/planning/garbage_and_recycling/.
Solano County strives to curb the incidence of illegal dumping. Since 2008, a deputy sheriff has been dedicated to investigating and enforcing the unauthorized disposal of waste. In 2013 the county kicked off a civic engagement campaign, “Keep Solano Clean and Green.” But we also ask for help from the public, not just in hopes of catching those responsible, but to have the debris removed quickly. Trash deposits that sit too long can adversely affect property values and only invite others to engage in the same behavior.
The Solano County Sheriff’s Office requests that reports of illegal dumping be made by calling 707-421-7090, or by sending an e-mail to illegaldumping@solanocounty.com. When a report is made, a deputy sheriff from the Consumer and Environmental Crimes Unit will be dispatched to investigate the debris pile for any information that may connect it to its origin. After all, illegal dumping is a crime and those responsible may be prosecuted.
Today, illegal dumping is as rampant as ever and takes our Public Works road crews away from the primary task of keeping our 577 miles of county roads safe and maintained. Let’s all do our part to keep Solano County clean.
For more information regarding waste and recycling programs in Solano County, please contact Narcisa Untal, Sr. Planner, Department of Resource Management, at 707-784-3172, or e-mail NUntal@SolanoCounty.com.
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Since 2003, Supervisor John M. Vasquez has had the privilege to represent the 4th Supervisorial District covering Northern Solano County. The district includes portions of Vacaville and Dixon.
For more, follow @SupeVasquez on Twitter.
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