FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PITTSBURG, CA – The City of Pittsburg is taking action to combat illegal dumping within the East Bay city.
Under the adopted ordinance, fines for illegal dumping will be increased to $1,000 per incident – the maximum allowed by the state – and the City will maintain the authority to hold the owner and/or operator of a vehicle used in the commitment of illegal dumping accountable for citations and the cost of cleanup.
The City will utilize its vast network of automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras that may capture the license plate of a vehicle used to illegal dump debris and lead officials to the registered owner. In cases of ongoing dumping, the cost of abatement of a property could be charged to the property owner.
“[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 Community and Economic Development. “Items dumped are often large, heavy, maybe hazardous or contain hazardous materials requiring a lot of processing in order to pick those up and also to dispose of them.”
City Manager Garrett Evans said as far back as 2017, the city picked up 632 mattresses and 361 couches or sofa chairs in a year. Davis said in 2021 the City estimated there were more than 1,200 tons or 306 cubic yards of debris, while 2022 that number was approximately 288 cubic yards.
The ordinance becomes effective April 18, 2024.
For more information, contact the City of Pittsburg Community and Economic Development Department at (925) 252-4039 or visit pittsburgca.gov.
For more information, contact Jordan Davis at (925) 252-4015 or visit pittsburgca.gov.
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About The City of Pittsburg
Incorporated in 1903, Pittsburg is located on the south shore of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta in Northern California, 30 miles east of San Francisco. The City has a population of 77,752, and operates under the council/manager form of government with its own Police, Public Works, Community and Economic Development, Finance, Community Services, and Recreation Departments, as well as its own utility divisions operating as the Pittsburg Power Company and Pittsburg Water. With more than 5,000 new housing units in the development pipeline, as well as large industrial corridors slated for redevelopment, Pittsburg is one of the fastest growing cities in Contra Costa County. For more information, please call the City Manager’s Office at (925) 252-4850.
