Pittsburg has taken steps to be tougher on illegal dumping by imposing stiffer penalties on whoever is caught doing it, city officials said.
Under a new ordinance approved by Pittsburg legislators on Thursday, 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.