East Bay leaders on Wednesday announced a pilot program to combat the problem of illegal dumping, an issue that has become especially prevalent around interstates, rural roads and other places around the Bay Area.
Officials said the $750,000 pilot program is funded by the state and will help law enforcement officers go after people who illegally dump their trash.
Between 2016 and 2018, illegal dumping cost Contra Costa County around $1 million, according to a think tank that includes officials from the county. It costs the city about $260 to dispose of a cubic yard of illegal trash. But, if a person took that same amount of trash to the dump it would cost them only $32.
According to the Oakland Public Works Department, the city has faced similar problems. In 2016, Oakland cleaned up 29,000 piles of trash, a 100% increase from 2011.
