On a sunny Monday afternoon in the Iron Triangle neighborhood, city maintenance lead Julian Cotton and his crew are cleaning up a more than 3-foot-tall pile of tires, lawn chairs and random flotsam illegally dumped at the corner of Fifth Street and Bissell Avenue.
Team member Hector Burciaga backs up a tractor, maneuvering the vehicle with ease to scoop up a load and dump the items into a waiting city truck.
The 15-person City of Richmond abatement team works year-round to dispose of junk, removing a staggering 2,797 tons of illegally dumped items in 2023. Picture it like this: That’s the equivalent of hauling away an amount weighing more than 18,600 household refrigerators. This and other cleanups cost the city $1.35 million annually.
In 2023, the city hauled the equivalent weight of more than 18,600 household refrigerators.
The abatement team, which launched in 2001, responds quickly to dumping complaints reported via the city app or calls to its hotline.
“People dump on the west side of my property, I think, because there is a fence and no houses on that side of the block,” said Catalin Kaser, who lives in the North and East neighborhood. “I just started using the city app to report issues. (It’s) easy, and they seem responsive.”
So what’s behind the illegal dumping problem?
Privately hired haulers are responsible for up to 10% of illegal dumping, according to research by Save the Bay, an Oakland-based nonprofit that works to restore the bay and has done extensive research into Bay Area littering and dumping. Other culprits include private companies and individuals.
“Tire companies will dump 60 to 70 tires at a time,” Cotton said. “Building contractors dump unwanted lumber and concrete.” This saves such companies the inconvenience of driving to the landfill and avoids the related fees, which can be steep. The Republic Services West Contra Costa Sanitary Landfill, Richmond’s main dump on Parr Boulevard, charges $42 to dispose of a mattress and $137 to dump a TV or computer monitor.
Got Junk? Richmond city crews remove nearly 2,800 tons of illegally dumped items a year from city streets. Here’s how to get help from the city in your neighborhood.
- Download the app. Search for “City of Richmond CA” on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Use “Report an Issue” to schedule a junk pickup.
- Call the hotline. The city offers an Illegal Dumping Hotline, (510) 965-4905. You can leave a message or speak to a live person during business hours.
For more information on illegal dumping in Richmond, visit the city website.
The problem is also common in low-income neighborhoods, according to Save the Bay.
“Some residents just can’t afford the dump, so they put their junk out on the curb,” said Tawfic Halaby, Richmond’s Deputy Director of Public Works for Operations and Maintenance.
Also, because Richmond’s abatement crew is so efficient, residents may be tempted to illegally dump because, “You just put it out on the curb and three days later, it’s gone,” Halaby said.
Dump some junk for free
The amount of dumping has held steady for years, Halaby said. To help combat the problem, the city wants residents to know there are free alternatives.
Public Works puts out a large trash receptacle in each neighborhood once a year for residents to dispose of bulky items for free. (Learn more about the free trash disposal program.)
Residents can drop off up to three mattresses a month for free at Hazardous Waste Disposal, 101 Pittsburg Ave., on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 9 a.m.-noon and from 12:30 p.m.-4 p.m. And occupants of single-family homes and duplexes can contact Republic Services at (510) 231-4203 to schedule one free curbside bulk pickup annually.
To deter offenders, the city is setting up closed-circuit cameras at dumping hot spots, said Hugo Mendoza, Richmond’s Public Works Abatement superintendent. Illegal dumpers can be fined up to $1,000.
Meanwhile, Cotton and his squad are hard at work every weekday responding to hotline calls and performing scheduled pickups block-by block.
“We’re family,” he says of his close-knit crew as the team prepares to leave for the next pickup. “We’re ready to get it!”
I am very impressed that the City of Richmond has such an efficient abatement crew. At the same time it is unfortunate that some of this illegal dumping is done by private companies.
As a Richmond resident, 49 year old guy that’s been involved in construction, the main problem is the high cost of dumping loads of debris. Republic’s prices are way too high. I personally use Berkeley and Marin transfer stations and would never go to the Richmond site.