illegal dumping in Kern county

illegal dumping in Kern county

CITY AND COUNTY OFFICIALS HAVEBEEN ATTEMPTING TO COMBAT THISISSUE BY CREATING TEAMS FOCUSEDSOLELY ON ILLEGAL TRASHDUMPING.23ABCS LEZLA GOODEN WAS ABLE TOFOLLOW ONE OF THECOUNTY TEAMS TO SEE HOW THEY AREADDRESSING THIS PROBLEM.GOOD EVENING..

TODAY I WAS ABLETEAM UP WITH THE KERN COUNTYPUBLIC WORKS RAPID TEAM WHO WASABLE TO GIVE US A BEHIND THESCENES LOOK OF THEIR DAY TO DAYOPERATIONS..

FROM SCOUTINGNEIHGBHORHODOS..

TO PICKING UPSEVERAL ILLEGAL DUMPING ITEMS..THEY TELL ME IN ORDER TO FIXTHIS PROBLEM THEY ARE GOINGTO NEED THE COMMUNITYS HELPS.FOR THE LOVE OF GOD TAKE ITSOMEWHEREELSE THERE IS A DUMP SPOT NOTTOO FAR FROM HERE.

THIS ISN'T ADUMPING GROUND.53 YEAR OLD AURELIO GUERRA SAYSHE HAS LIVED IN THISNEIGHBORHOOD OFF OF PACIFICSTREET IN EAST BAKERSFIELD FORTHE PAST FIVE YEARS.HE ADDS THAT ILLEGAL DUMPINGHERE HAS BEEN AN ONGOINGPROBLEM.(NAT POP)AND AT TIMES HE WAKES UP TOTRASH IN HIS YARD- BUT HE SAYSHE IS GRATEFUL TO THE REMOVINGAND PREVENTINGILLEGAL DUMPING CREW OR RAPIDCREW- THAT HAS TAKEN THECHARGE OF CLEANING UP THEILLLEGAL DUMPING ITEMS.LIKE I BEEN SAYING THEY HAVEBEENDOING A GOOD JOB..THEY HAVE TOLDME WE ARE GOING TO COME IN THISWEEKAND CLEAN IT ALL UP..

THEN ABOUTA WEEK LATER YOU GOT TRASHAGAIN.

BUT THEY HAVEBEEN COMING BY AT LEAST ONCE AMONTH..

CONSIDERING THISNEIGHBORHOODWE LIVE IN THEY HAVE BEEN DOINGGREAT.THE KERN COUNTY PUBLIC WORKSOFFICE FOR THE PAST TWO YEARSHAS IMPLENTED THIER RAPID CREWOF FIVE TO SOLELY FOCUS ONILLEGAL DUMPING NUISANCETHROUGHOUT KERN COUNTY..JUST THIS YEAR THEY HAVEALLOTTED A NEW DAILY TASK TOADDRESS ILLEGAL DUMPING.NOW WE HAVE A SCOUT THAT GOESTHROUGHOUT THE COUNTY AS WELLLOOKIN FOR SPOTS WE HAVEN'TRECEIVEDCOMPLAINTS ON BUT WE KNOW THATTHOSE AREAS ARE FREQUENTLYDUMPEDON.KERN COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS SAYSTHEY WANT THE COMMUNITYTO UNDERSTAND THE BOUNDARIESTHAT THE CREWS FACE.

LEGALLY THETEAM CAN ONLY ADDRESS AREAS THATFALL ALONG COUNTY PUBLICRIGHTAWAYS..

SUCH AS SIDEWALKS..ALLEYWAYS..

AND PROPERTY OWNEDBY THE COUNTY.IF THERE IS DUMPING ON PRIVATEPROPERTY THEREARE OTHER STEPS THEY MUST TAKE.IF ITS ON THE PRIVATE PROPERTYTHAT'SFULLY WITHIN THE PRIVATEPROPERTY WE THEN HAVE TO GOTHROUGH OUR CODECOMPLIANCE TO GET THE PROPERTYOWNER TO CLEAN UP THEIRPROPERTY..

IFTHE PROPERTY OWNER DOESN'TRESPOND THEN WE CAN COME IN WITHOUR RAPID CREWS..

IT TAKES ABOUT2 TO 3 MONTHS TO CLEAN UP APRIVATEPROPERTY..THEN WE SEND THATPROPERTY OWNER A BILL.TRASH, CLOTHES..

NEEDLES ANDPIECES OF FURNTIRURE AREJUST SOME OF THE ITEMS THE RAPIDCREW SEES ON A DAILY.ESCUDERO SAYS THAT TIRES ANDMATTRESSES ARE THE TWO MOSTPOPULAR ITEMS THEY SEE DUMPED.AND IN 2019 ALONE..

THECREW COLLECTED 1200 MATTRESSESFROM COUNTY STREETS.COUNTYWIDE WE HAVE CLEANED UPNEARLY5,000 SEPARATE DUMPS SITES LASTYEAR ALONE AND WE TALK ABOUTTHETONNAGE ALONE ITS OVER 800 TONSOF GARBAGE.DURING THE TIME THAT 23ABCFOLLOWED THE RAPID CREW..

THETEAM CAME ACROSS A HOMELESSENCAMPMENT..WHERE INDIVIDUALS BEGAN TO CLEANONCE THEY SAWTHE CREWS TRUCK.... THE RAPIDCREW SAYS THIS IS ALSOAPART OF THEIR ROUTINE.WE ALSO WORK WITH OUR CODEENFORCEMENT TEAM AND WE WEREABLE TO CLEAN UP 124 HOMELESSENCAMPMENTS AS WELL..

OUR RAPIDTEAM WORKS IN CONJUNCTION WITHOUR HOMELESS OUTREACH.THE CREW IS CONTINUING TO ASKFOR THE COMMUNITY'SHELP WITH ILLEGAL DUMPING.

ANDWANTS TO REMINDRESIDENTS THERE ARE 13 SITELOCATIONS THAT COUNTYRESIDENTS CAN DUMP THEIRUNWANTED ITEMS FOR FREE ANDEVEN HAVE THE OPTION TO DROP OFFOUR TIRES A YEAR.

THIS ONLYAPPLIES TO RESIDENTS WHO AREDUMPING NOT BUSINESSES.NEIGHBORS FOR THE LOVE OF GODRESPECT YOUR NEIGHBORS..

RESPECTYOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.THE RAPID CREW OF THE COUNTYSAYS THEY WANT TO ENCOURAGECOMMUNITIES TO ADDRESS ILLEGALDUMPING TOGETHER.

AND RECOMMENDNEIGHBORHOODS SO TO HOST THEIROWN CLEANUP..

WHICH KERN COUNTYPUBLIC WORKS WILL PROVIDE FORFREE--- GLOVES, BAGS AND THEYWILL SEND A TEAM MEMBER TOCONDUCT A TRAINING WITH YOURGROUP.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ONTHIS BE SURE TO HEAD TO TURN TO23 DOT COM.

FOR NOW IN STUDIOLEZLA GOODEN 23ABC NEWSCONNECTING YOU.ONE MAN IS IN CUSTODY -- AFTERLEADING LAW ENFORCEMENT