Coquitlam is reaching out to residents for information and reviewing security footage in the hopes of catching the culprits who dumped several loads of trash at Coquitlam's Town Centre recycling depot on the recent Victoria Day long weekend.
The May 22 incident was among the worst in several years, said Stephanie Warren, the city's manager of environmental services.
And with taxpayers on the hook for more than $200,000 a year in cleanup costs for illegal dumping, Warriner hopes people get the message to be more responsible with their unwanted goods.
"There were several bags of mixed recyclables and garbaged dumped that day," Warriner said. She's not sure if it was a single dumper or many, although it appeared the materials were dumped at different points throughout the day, the security footage combined with information from residents suggests that the culprit may soon be caught.
What the dumpers face for illegally disposing of their cardboard, papers, a stainless steel trash can, electronics, a barbecue, a lawn chair and other garbage is a $250 fine plus the cleanup costs — and those won't be cheap because it took a significant amount of time for the contractor to go through the materials, separate them and dispose of them properly.
"What we encourage is everybody to be doing their part in the city to help keep our city clean. Illegal dumping costs everybody," Warriner told The Tri-City News. "it's very resource heavy for the city to deal with these mess and it's unsightly."
It's also puzzling.
Warriner said it's hard to understand why people continue to dump their trash illegally when there are so many free and easy options for dealing with both disposable and recyclable items responsibly.
For a start, people can use the city's Waste Wizard search tool (www.coquitlam.ca/trashtalk), which explains how and where to properly dispose of items.
As well, there is the regular curbside collection of garbage, recycling and organics (yard and kitchen waste), and extra cardboard will be accepted as long as it's flattened.
There are also several full-service Encorp Return-It Depots and private recycling depots, which take bottles and cans as well as electronics.
For larger items, the city offers four free pick-ups a year for homes receiving curbside collection (more info: coquitlam.ca/lipu). And the Coquitlam Transfer Station on United Boulevard is open every day except Dec. 25 and Jan. 1 for regular garbage and recyclables.
In the coming months, Coquitlam expects to have increased staffing at the Town Centre depot to help deter dumping as well as to aid residents in the proper disposal of recyclables.
"We're encouraging everyone to do their part," Warriner said.
Coquitlam is not alone in spending tens of thousands of taxpayers' dollars on cleaning-up illegal dumping messes.
Port Moody spends between $3,000 and $10,000 a year, and in 2016, some 54 sites, including dead ends, abandoned lots and green spaces, had to be cleared of dumped trash.
Port Coquitlam has budgeted $58,000 for cleanup, with problem areas such as charity donation bins, lanes and dead end streets being the worst for illegal dumping.
Fines of up to $500 could be implemented. Keeping eyes and ears open for illegal dumpers is one way of cutting down costs - with the area at the end of Prairie Avenue by the dike of particular concern.
One problem that may be deterring people from disposing of their waste is long line-ups — up to an hour or more on some days — at the Coquitlam Transfer Station on United Boulevard. The public is encouraged to go during non-peak hours and Warriner said she refers all complaints to Metro Vancouver, which is responsible for the facility, operated by Emterra.
A spokesperson for Metro Vancouver said the issue is being looked into, with the possibility that wait times might be posted online.
• To report illegal dumpers in Coquitlam, call bylaw enforcement staff at 604-927-7387 or email [email protected]. In PoCo, call 604-927-5496. A list of recycling depots is available at www.portcoquitlam.ca/recycling.In Port Moody, if you have a bylaw complaint, call 604-469-4697 or email [email protected].
