Illegal Dumping Continues
Video shot by Councillor Brian Skakun on Cranbrook Hill – submitted
Prince George, B.C. – April 30th has been set as ‘clean up’ day in Prince George, but Prince George City Councillor Brian Skakun wants those responsible for illegal dumping to clean up their mess now.Skakun recently visited a site on Cranbrook Hill off Tyner Boulevard and was shocked at the mess he discovered. He says unfortunately, there is little that can be done “Part of the problem, talking to City Administration, is that a lot of what’s happening is on private property that some of the owners don’t even know what’s going on.”
He says the properties are large, they are not fenced and there is nothing posted indicating the property is privately owned “Lots of people access the properties, and unfortunately lots of people who are dumping garbage are accessing them as well.”
He says one of the issues is that the City’s Solid Waste department just doesn’t have the resources to dedicate personnel to checking areas for illegal dumping “The other issue is that in order for City Administration to follow up on something on private property , under the Community Charter they have to get explicit consent from the owners to go and investigate it,so there’s a whole bunch of things. The City has basically said to me, if you can’t see the dumping going on from the road, ’cause it’s hidden in the trees, I guess it’s less of a priority to get someone to clean it up.”
He says in this particular case, captured on video, the property owner has been asked to clean up the mess although he’s not certain on how long the property owner has been given to comply. “I think what’s going to happen is property owners, if they are going to get stuck with the bill for cleaning this stuff up, they are going to stop people from accessing their property and I guess that’s one way to stop it from happening on private property, but Crown land is another issue and that continues to go on unabated.”
Skakun has suggested in the past that trail cameras be installed to capture images of the offenders, but that is a costly venture and the cameras would likely be the target for theft. He says the amount of illegal dumping going on is “crazy” that “People don’t want to take the time, they are lazy they don’t want to pay the $6 dollar fee at the landfill, and they don’t care about the environment, so they are going to dump it where they can get away with it. It’s absolutely appalling.”
He says offenders need to be caught ” whether in the act, or close to it, and make an example of them.” In the case captured on video, personal mail was discovered, and while the mail recipient has contacted Skakun and said he had no idea how his garbage got to the site, Skakun says when the garbage contains items which can identify a person, those people should be contacted and ordered to go clean up the mess.
He says he may consider bringing a notice of motion before Council “It’s just a matter of what we can legally do, I am going to keep monitoring it, and if it looks like nothing is happening and we aren’t making any progress, perhaps a motion to administration to direct them to take more formal action on some of these illegal dump sites.”
Comments
When the Regional District started charging for garbage, they claimed it would reduce the amount of waste being brought to the dump. They were right.
They felt this was because ‘magically’ there would be less waste generated. They have no basis for this.
Perhaps it wasn’t as wise as they claim to start charging for the dump? I would prefer to have it free, and then pay a bit more on property taxes. As it is, we have to pay to clean up these illegal dumps–and I’m sure that is costing more.
Unintended consequences of a misguided policy. $6 plus the over weight fee is too much! I took an small pick-up load of household garbage to Foothills and it cost me over $20. No wonder there is so much illegal dumping.
Its cheaper to have the public collect and dump their own garbage for a nominal fee than it is for the City pay for it through increased volume in the roadside cans and cleaning up all the illegal dumping. Getting rid of the transfer station on 18th was another stupid idea. Not to mention the environmental and sanitary costs and the unsightliness this illegal dumping is causing.
We never had a problem with people dumping garbage until the city started charging at the transfer station. We saw the effects almost immediately and there was garbage dumped down at the end of the side roads. The city said it would just take a little while for people to get used to the idea of paying and it would stop. It still happens.
Yes, it’s all the regional districts fault. These selfish animals are just victims of corporate greed.
These dummies at city hall had no problem charging us all for the city games. So just charge all households, and property owners in the regional district, 10$ a year on our taxes, what’s the difference? Commercial loads still pay as they go, illegal dumping all but disappears.
No, why should I pay extra? I am a responsible person who diligently recycles everything I can. Go after the idiots who don’t care, the city needs to get their heads out of their ‘you know what’ and be damned with the shades of grey involved! Put the people’s names out there, embarrass them. Would that help, I have no idea but it is a start.
We get lots of illegal dumping out in our area and it is gross. I think if caught there should be a hefty fine. Lets say somewhere in the $1000 bucks for the first offense. 2nd offense $10,000 These should be mandatory not something a judge has any control over. As Window has said, the regional district land fill fees definitely have a bearing on the illegal dumping. But basically a lot of people are just pigs and you can’t change stupid.
don’t push out your chest too far, or pat yourself on your back too hard brian, we know you seem to be a lot of talk and little else.
Why don’t you run instead of calling people down. at least he is out there, don’t see too many other counsellors doing this unless it is for upping social services! I would definitely vote for you to se what you can accomplish, after all I have a good idea who you are as I recognize the bc racer on a car a long time ago! Gov’t, I will leave it at that! Have a good day!
if you think you know who I am contact me and we can discuss this.
I am not hard to find
Ray?
Man, once again the system has no teeth! The evidence is black and white! If they can be charged and don’t pixk their crap up it should go on their taxes if they are a homeowner! If not there should be legal action! This is disgusting! Right on Brian, as usual you come up with some good reporting unlike some other counsellors. On a positive note, I think, I noticed a big yellow bin on Tyner Blvd. filled with crap, is somebody cleaning up after pigs too! I noticed it was filled already once with tires, mattresses, etc. Whoever took the initiarive to do this my hats off to them!
There was a paint ball shooting course set up at that location on Tyner which is now being removed.
We all knew this would happen with the new regional landfill revenue policies. It’s so frustrating to see the results of such stupid policy. Soon all areas around the city will be blocked from public access to stop the dumping and PG looses something that really makes it special… Access to the great outdoors.
The fees are a big part of the problem along with what the dumps will take . I did some spring cleaning and went to the transfer station . Almost half of what I had was refused because the regional district and city don’t deal with those . Example I had tires , I was allowed to leave 4 but they had to be from a car or truck , the rest were motorcycle tires and they would not take them . The solotion I was given was to go to a tire shop after hours and leave them there . I did not dump my tires and as a result I have been driving for 2 weeks with a truck load of motorcycle tires in hopes that I can find somewhere to take them . Motorcycle shops don’t recycle them because there is nobody that does it so they just throw them in their dumpsters . A lot of other items ha e been turned away too so being limited to where they can go they just get dumped . This combined with high fees and lazyness will result in illegal dumping by some . Getting pretty disgusted seeing garbage piles everywhere for sure .
It’s interesting to see how many comments are blaming the Landfill fees versus laying the blame where it really belongs, at the feet of those few individuals who are too lazy to dispose of their trash properly.
If you can afford to generate all that crap, you can sure as hell afford to pay to dispose of it properly.
You and I both know that this has been going on long before the fees kicked in..Its just down right laziness and disregard for others property and the environment in general..
They’re not too lazy, they’re too cheap and irresponsible pigs.
Wait for marijuana to be legal then you will see a lot more illegal dumping of supplies around the back country
Especially with chemicals ect..
OMG, what a stupid comment. What on earth does pot have to do with people littering? Do you just make this stuff up as you go along?
“he property owner has been asked to clean up the mess although he’s not certain on how long the property owner has been given to comply.”
Hmm.. Maybe the property owner could contact Brian S and get the addy off the govt issued mail and or prescriptions..Load up a dump truck of the crap which was dumped on the property and dump it off at the property of the addressee..lol..Now that property owner will now have to comply..
Now that is a great idea, I would help lead the crap and assist in dumping it to the appropriate lawn.
You know a lot of the stuff in the video (wood, cardboard, plastic containers, metal ect..) is free to drop at the transfer stations or recycling depots. Just saying..I just takes a bit of time to sort it..big deal..
It’s one of those almost impossible things to enforce. Dumpers can go out in the middle of the night if they are so inclined to do so. Unless you pay for expensive enforcement, it’s easier to drop the fees and get people back to using the system in place for garbage. In some cases you can root through the bags and find an envelope with an address or a name to attach to the garbage but that what do you do after you find out who they are. I vote public shaming.
It’s just another case of the city changing things to offload a cost to them that ends up costing them somewhere else downstream. Unless Skakun voted against all the changes at the dump, I think it’s a little self serving that he bring this up now.
Wood is not free to drop off, nor is all yard waste. Branches must be a certain size and if even one is a bit over your whole load is charged. They will let you in to off load, but in the middle of dumping (have to dump different things in different places) they will make you leave even though you have paid the dumping fee. I don’t know of anyone that has just paid the six dollars no matter what they take up.
The transfer station prevented a lot of the illegal dumping, and it got worse when they closed it and then again with the upcharge at the dump.
Years ago a trucker was changing his oil on private property and the owner caught him doing it, the trucker said he was sorry as he thought it was City property. So why was it okay to do it on City property but not his own property.
There is concern how much longer the dump can be used. What is interesting about this concern as I understand it garbage from Mackenzie and other outlying areas is trucked into this dump.
That person who told to clean up the garbage that is not his, is now having to pay for the cleanup and tipping fees. In a case like this the tipping fees at least should not be applied.
Report all Poachers and Polluters, (RAPP)
https://forms.gov.bc.ca/environment/rapp/
Report all Poachers and Polluters, (RAPP). These people will take it seriously.
ht tps://forms.gov.bc.ca/environment/rapp/
Gotta catch them in the act and be able to identify them. Helps to have evidence like video too.
Skakins video stated there is identifying information among some of the trash. That’s all that’s required. Don’t need to catch them in the act. Many people have been charged in cases like this without being caught in the act.
Illegal dumping went on long before there were even any gates at the dump, let alone tipping fees.
It’s down to lazy people who care for nothing, but themselves.
metalman.
(editor’s note: this comment has been edited to remove a reference to a comment that has been deleted)
Thank you Editor for removing the offensive comment, and my reference to same.
metalman.
Hmmm I wonder did you have to trespass onto this private property to get the video Brian?
somebody did
I have a friend who has a large piece of property and there is so much illegal dumping there and they have signs everywhere saying private property, no trespassing and people don’t care. Does the city of PG really think scum who do this care about some benign signs? What a useless city. Except for Brian who clearly cares. There is a ton of dumping that happens on the road running along side Foothills too which I wrote to the city major about. Thats 10 minutes I’ll be never get back. I didn’t even get a form letter in response. Also there is a ton of plastic bottles, cans etc under the foothills bridge that people have stupidly tossed onto the river ice. So…that plastic gets into the river system and ultimately into the ocean. This is not just an eyesore. This city needs to take some responsibility and have some civic pride and help clean this up. When letters are found in the garbage with names and prescriptions and they won’t even talk to the people…stupid. If it was a murder scene and that stuff was found around the body, it would be evidence. The city demands that land owners clean these massive messes up themselves? That’s a solution? This city could be so much more amazing if there were qualified people running it instead of what we have.
Censored, are you serious????
Must have a hoarder living in the bush. No when you start charging people by weight over their limit this is where it becomes very expensive.
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