New Illegal Dumping Campaign, perpetrators face $3,000 fines plus clean-up costs and community service
Ventura County Public Works Agency is constantly battling the ever-growing problem of illegal dumping in Ventura County. VCPWA has joined forces through a grant with the Mattress Recycling Council, to launch a new public campaign “Don’t Dump on VC”.
The public outreach for the campaign shows the blight of illegal dumping on beautiful Ventura County and warns those who dump of the consequences, which include fines of up to $3,000 plus clean-up costs and community service. The Ventura County community can report perpetrators and get details on the responsible disposal of bulky items, e-waste, and household hazardous waste at DontDumpVC.org.
Illegal dumping is a large unauthorized deposit of any waste, usually over 15 pounds, such as mattresses, yard waste, construction debris, and furniture. Aside from the impact of the appearance on our Ventura County landscape, waste pollutes the local environment, is a hazard to humans and wildlife, and places a financial burden on the taxpayer when the government agencies have to clean up.
In 2021, VCPWA collected over 730 tons of mattresses and other junk that had been illegally dumped along county roads. The cost of collecting these mattresses and the other abandoned items over the past year was more than $340,000.
“Illegal dumping also pollutes our precious water supply, damages soil quality, and affects our air quality,” said Chris Kurgan, Director Roads and Transportation. “Our Ventura County Public Works Illegal dumping campaign will seek to educate the public on how to dispose of items responsibly and how to report the crimes. The consequences for perpetrators are significant. The court holds the defendants responsible for restitution to Ventura County. In addition to paying for the cleanup costs, they are subject to court costs, new larger fines of up to $3,000, and community service”.
