Hollister – The San Benito River isn’t filled with water;
instead it’s full of rusty bicycles, car hoods, and torn-apart
washing machines. But local officials, from the water district
manager to the district attorney, want to make the mass trash
dumping stop.
Hollister – The San Benito River isn’t filled with water; instead it’s full of rusty bicycles, car hoods, and torn-apart washing machines. But local officials, from the water district manager to the district attorney, want to make the mass trash dumping stop.
The San Benito River is an attractive area for people looking to get rid of large pieces of trash, according to Mandy Rose of the county’s Integrated Waste Management Department. Dilapidated washers and dryers, refrigerators and tires have all found homes amid the dry weeds on the riverbed floor. Even a badly worn trailer has made its way down into the dry riverbed, and its “front yard” is strewn with Blue Oyster Cult cassette tapes and dirty washcloths.
And while San Benito Water District Director John Gregg said there is no wildlife habitat to speak of for the trash to affect, and the river has not seen a steady water flow since 1998, garbage in the riverbed is still a serious problem.
“The bottom line is, there are people who find it convenient to dump trash along the side of the road or in the riverbed, and we’re trying to stop them or make it less convenient for them to behave in this fashion,” said Gregg.
Rose said the illegal dumping is probably due to any number of reasons, particularly some residents’ unwillingness to take their garbage to the landfill or pay for waste management service. Having your trash picked up and disposed of by Waste Management Services every week costs around $15 a month, she said. But an average trip to the landfill can cost around $20 to $40.
“Because garbage has no value, I think people have a hard time paying to get rid of it,” Rose explained.
However, city and county officials said they are stepping up efforts to keep people from trashing the state-owned riverbed.
The water district, the city of Hollister and Integrated Waste Management have all teamed up to clean the riverbed and prevent further littering, according to Gregg. The three agencies are urging landowners along the river to shut off access from their property to the riverbed, putting up “No Littering” signs, and will be working with the sheriff and the District Attorney to prosecute litterers, Gregg said.
The police department also sometimes sends officers down to the riverbed, and they do some clean-up, said Sgt. Mike Rodriguez. But they are only sent down when cases of trespassing are reported.
More often, the agencies take students from the high school into the riverbed for clean-ups that students can use towards service hours they need to graduate, Rose said. These trips not only help clean the area up, but educate the students about how harmful illegal dumping is, she said.
“I was down there with one group and someone just threw a McDonald’s bag out of their car window. I mean, there were still hot fries in it. The bag just came down and landed right between me and one of the students, and we were all just horrified. The student said, ‘You know, I’ve never done that, but I’ve been in a car when somebody has, and I will never let that happen again,'” Rose recalled.
Rose said students have also periodically found trash revealing its owner’s identity, such as bags containing ID cards or multiple pieces of mail addressed to the same person. Students doing clean-up will soon be writing down the information they find in the riverbed trash and reporting it to the District Attorney.
DA John Sarsfield said Wednesday he is ready to go after anyone found to have illegally dumped trash in the San Benito River, and will charge them with anything from basic littering to improper disposal of toxic materials depending on what they dumped.
“I’m really glad they’re going to get down there and get that place cleaned up,” Sarsfield said.
Keeping the riverbed in good shape though will depend on cooperation from local residents and property owners, Rose said. Because most of the access points to the river are on private property, landowners in the area will have to be vigilant about keeping out trespassers who may be heading down to the riverbed to dump their trash. Although the river itself is owned by the state, this is one way access can be controlled, she said.
Residents can also help by making the decision to either use a waste management service or make trips to the landfill once a week, Rose said.
For larger pieces of trash, like broken appliances, that require a trip to the landfill, Rose said the county provides other options that don’t require people to pay fees, and therefore don’t encourage people to dump their trash in the riverbed for free.
Integrated Waste Management holds quarterly events at the landfill at which people can drop off designated items, like washers, dryers, and refrigerators, for free. The next event will be Dec. 18 and 19.
Jessica Quandt is a staff writer for the Free Lance. Reach her at 831-637-5566 ext. 330 or at [email protected].
