San Francisco city officials are going door-to-door in the city’s Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood this afternoon to educate business owners and residents about the effects of illegal dumping.
The San Francisco Department of the Environment and Department of Public Works are collaborating on the outreach effort, which is focusing on an area of the city that is a known hotspot for illegal dumping, public works spokeswoman Gloria Chan said.
The departments are about halfway through a six-week campaign targeting industrial and other businesses that dump waste and residents who leave bulky items like couches and mattresses on city sidewalks and streets, Chan said.
Each year, San Francisco handles about 17,000 reports of illegal dumping and hauls off about 10,000 tons of discarded debris, she said. The efforts cost city taxpayers more than $4 million annually.
A crew of five city employees is educating businesses and residents about the resources available to help them dispose of unwanted bulky items, and how to report illegal dumping, Chan said.
Information on how to get rid of various items can be found using the EcoFinder application on the Department of Environment’s website, www.sfenvironment.org.
Anyone who sees illegal dumping is encouraged to call 311, Chan said.
Dan McMenamin, Bay City News
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