A city littered with trash: Illegal dumping an expensive problem for Oakland

http://www.insidebayarea.com/bay-area-news/ci_20375012/oakland-trash-illegal-dumping-cleanup

Illegal dumping has long been an expensive problem in Oakland and other East Bay cities with expansive industrial areas that attract people who don't want to pay landfill fees.

Oakland last year spent $3.2 million and used the equivalent 29 full-time workers to clean up more than 1,600 tons of garbage dumped on city streets and sidewalks. Even more trash is dumped on property belonging to BART and the railroads. Richmond spent about $1.1 million on illegal dumping and Hayward spent $900,000, officials said. Statewide, illegal dumping costs taxpayers about $200 million per year, according to the California Integrated Waste Management Board.