The Nipomo Community Services District (NCSD) and the local branch of the California Conservation Corps recently worked together to clear an accumulation of illegally dumped appliances, computers, car parts, a travel trailer, trash, and debris from an access road in Nipomo.
To help prevent trash from building up there again, locked barricades have been placed at each end of Hetrick Street to block vehicles.
After being told about the illegal dumping, NCSD board members and staffers decided to fund the clean up project with money from the district’s Solid Waste Franchise Fund. The overall cleanup process and barricade installation cost approximately $7,000.
California Conservation Corps members worked for several days clearing garbage from the site. Members from the Ride Nipomo group also helped by trimming tree limbs to make room for large trash containers on the road.
“I think it’s a great example of how community resources can work together,” said Celeste Whitlow, conservation and communication outreach specialist for NCSD.
“We just saw more and more stuff getting dropped there, so we decided to get it cleaned up,” Whitlow said.
In a release to the media, NCSD officials stressed that illegal dumping creates both safety and health hazards. Illegally dumped hazardous materials can contaminate or pollute the underlying soil and aquifer.
A conviction for illegal dumping in San Luis Obispo County carries a mandatory fine of no less than $250 but no more than $1,000 for the first offense. For the second offense, the mandatory fine is increased to $500 to $1,500.
Residents can legally dump their excess rubbish, appliances, and other materials at the City of Santa Maria Landfill, 2065 E. Main St., in Santa Maria or the Nipomo Transfer Station, 325 Cuyama Lane (Highway 166), in Nipomo.
Hazardous materials and waste can be disposed at the Nipomo facility, located at 509 Southland Ave. The facility is open on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and there’s no cost for disposal.
This article appears in Feb 26 – Mar 5, 2009.