Pittsburg has taken steps to be tougher on illegal dumping by imposing stiffer penalties on whoever is caught doing it, city officials said Thursday.
Under a new ordinance approved by Pittsburg legislators, fines for illegal dumping were increased to $1,000 per case, the maximum allowed by the state. Local authorities also will still hold the owner and/or operator of a vehicle used in illegal dumping accountable for citations and the cost of cleanup.
Moreover, local authorities will also use the city’s network of automated license plate reader cameras that may capture the license plate of a vehicle used for illegal dumping, leading them to the registered owner.
In cases of ongoing dumping, the cost of abatement of a property could be charged to the property owner, city officials said.
The ordinance becomes effective on April 18.
“Illegal dumping has increasingly become an issue throughout the region, and the City of Pittsburg spends $100,000 annually on the cleanup of illegally dumped debris,” said Jordan Davis, director of the city’s Community and Economic Development Department. “Items dumped are often large, heavy, maybe hazardous or contain hazardous materials requiring a lot of processing to pick those up and also to dispose of them.”
According to City Manager Garrett Evans, Pittsburg collected 632 disposed mattresses and 361 couches or sofa chairs in a year since 2017.
In 2021, city officials said there were more than 1,200 tons or 306 cubic yards of debris. In 2022, the number of debris was estimated at 288 cubic yards.
19 comments
Concord needs to do this. Also the state needs to raise the level that can be charged. Thousand bucks doesn’t cut it.
Pittsburg cites people when someone dumps trash in front of their house..should Concord do that too?
I’m guessing if it’s on their property and it’s taken care of in a reasonable amount of time no. Put up a sit there for weeks and becomes an eyesore attracting vermin and what else. Yes. I’m not asking for Armageddon. Just people be responsible with their trash that’s all.
Jail time needs to be included they won’t have the cash to pay the fine
My HOA dues went up, partly due to additional costs incurred to dispose of items dumped in and around our garbage rooms. Items similar to those pictured here. It’s just easier to let someone else pay to clean up the messes.
Prior to retirement would see a wide range of Free Range Furnishings
along Kirker Pass Road.
That basket on the right would be just what I need to keep magazines next to the recliner!
I wonder if it’s still there?
DR. JELLYFINGER,
.
Go check out the dead-end of Avila Road, off of Willow Pass Road, just past the Concord Police Association building and property.
No one gets penalized for committing any sort of crime any longer.
They can write tickets, arrest, whatever, no one pays, and no one goes to jail.
The bleeding hearts got their way only to learn that their way is a disaster.
There it is. License plate readers are now going to be used to surveil for “crimes” and before you know if there will be cams everywhere. Oh wait – there already are. Kinda creepy this.
so does this apply to our homeless who dump there trash every where, or are they exempt? If they are, can I pay them to dump my stuff?
Don’t get me wrong, I have never dumped anything anywhere, but the pricing at the dumps is nothing but a rip-off. People don’t have a problem loading up these unwanted mattresses, stoves, couches and refrigerators and dropping them off somewhere to dispose of them. The problem is they don’t want to pay the ridiculously high prices the recyclers charge. I think charges of $47.75 for mattresses or $75.25 for refrigerators, washers and stoves is highway robbery and the real problem. Does anybody regulate what they can charge? They have a legal monopoly over where we can legally dump but appears they can charge whatever they wish and do so. Maybe they should be required to use the funds from these fines to bring down the cost of dumping the items legally. I mean if the items that get dumped are going to wind up at the recyclers in the end, anyway, make disposal free and remove the middleman (city). Problem solved.
You make an interesting point.
Perhaps a landfill should be regulated by the PUC as a privately-owned, but publicly regulated utility.
Worth considering.
ANCIENT MARINER,
.
We shouldn’t have landfills anymore. We should be using incinerators to dispose of our non-recyclable garbage and we should be making electricity through the incineration process. Modern incinerators are highly efficient and burn at such a high temperature that they produce very little pollution compared to the inefficient incinerators of the past.
.
The Concord City Council’s love affair with the corrupt Mt. Diablo Resource Recovery, formerly Concord Disposal, a division of Garaventa Enterprises, and owned by the Garaventa Family needs to come to an end. The City of Concord forcing residents to do business with the Garaventa Family and their MDRR garbage company is not in the best interests of Concord residents, it’s ONLY in the BEST INTERESTS of the 5 sitting Concord City Councilmembers and the Garaventa Family.
Folks here used to bring up the cost of dump and recycling fees in response to stories like these. Thanks for bringing up the real problem and the solution. Who would risk the price of a ticket if they could drop it off at the dump or a recycler. They are supposed to serve the public not we them.
Don’t get me wrong, I have never dumped anything anywhere, but the pricing at the dumps is nothing but a rip-off. People don’t have a problem loading up these unwanted mattresses, stoves, couches and refrigerators and dropping them off somewhere to dispose of them. The problem is they don’t want to pay the ridiculously high prices the recyclers charge. I think charges of $47.75 for mattresses or $75.25 for refrigerators, washers and stoves is highway robbery and the real problem. Does anybody regulate what they can charge? They have a legal monopoly over where we can legally dump but appears they can charge whatever they wish and do so. Maybe they should be required to use the funds from these fines to bring down the cost of dumping the items legally. I mean if the items that get dumped are going to wind up at the recyclers in the end, anyway, make disposal free and remove the middleman (city). The city will look nice, and the problem is solved.
Arrest shoplifters and make them clean up the streets instead of jail time…. just a though….
Rampant crime and this is what they are worried about?
The only explanation for this sudden concern is they must be expecting a visit from a Chinese Dictator.
You forgot to leave out the word dumping
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