The Redwood City division of the California Highway Patrol has seen an increase of illegal dumping of wood chips and gardening material along San Mateo County highways over the last few months.
Piles of debris are turning up on freeways, on-ramps and off-ramps; CHP says they are not left there by Caltrans, but by unknown parties. This activity is illegal and dangerous to the public and the environment.
In addition, CHP says these piles can contain bugs that can destroy roadside vegetation, possible hazardous materials and can also be a fire danger with the recent hot temperatures. Dumping fees for each of these piles can cost the State of California from $300 to $700.
The CHP is soliciting the public’s help in reporting anyone seen dumping any kind of material alongside California highways and are asked to call 911 and provide the following information to the CHP dispatcher:
- Location
- Description of vehicle (including license plate if visible from a safe location).
- Description of the parties involved (ethnicity, type and color of clothing, etc.).
- Direction of travel (if the vehicle leaves the area)
- And what they observed.
For more information, go to www.chp.ca.gov/.
