ALRIGHT, KSAT EXPLAINS IS COMING UP NEXT. >> TODAY IS EARTH DAY A DAY
DEDICATED TO TAKING CARE OF OUR
PLANET. LOOKING AT WAYS WE CAN
BETTER PROTECT IT FOR FUTURE
GENERATIONS. AND THAT CHANGE
CAN START SMALL. CARING FOR
WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT HERE AT
HOME. BUT IN SOME WAY, SENATOR
NEW NEEDS TO CLEAN THINGS UP.
ONE OF OUR VIEWER SENT THIS
QUESTION TO OUR KSAT EXPLAINS
TEAM.
>> HELLO, MY NAME IS SEAN
JACKSON. MY MIND US FOR KSAT.
12 YEARS. I LIKE, YOU KNOW,
OUR CITIES BECOME SO TIME.
I DRIVE DOWN THE ROAD TO SEE
TRASH AND DEBRIS INSIDE THE
ROADS. I LIVED THERE FOR A LONG
TIME AND I JUST SEE OUR CITY ON
THE DECLINE WHEN IT COMES TO
THE CLEANLINESS OF IT AND
EVERYTHING AROUND THE CITY.
I JUST KNOW THAT ALL THE CITY
COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE MAYOR,
THE SEA AND EARLY DRIVE TO AND
FROM WORK EVERY DAY. I KNOW.
IS HE THE SAME THINGS? I DO.
I LIKE YOU, BUT I HAVE THAT
QUESTION. ANSWERS WISER.
SEE BECOMING SO VERY THANK YOU.
>> GOOD QUESTION. YOU MIGHT SEE
THE 2, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES
TO TRASH ALONG THE SIDE OF THE
ROAD. HERE IS KSAT EXPLAINS
ILLEGAL DUMPING.
♪
ACTRESS A SINK OVER KLEINER
OLD CARPET. THAT AND MORE PILED
UP HERE DUMPED ALONG A
RESIDENTIAL STREET NEAR LOOP
410, AND RIGSBY. MY NAME IS
ANDREW. GET US SOME ASSISTANT
DIRECTOR FOR THE SOLID WASTE
MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT FOR THE
CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. ANDREW,
GOOD TO GET AS HAS BEEN AT THIS
FOR 30 YEARS.
>> CONTRACTOR, BUCKETS OF
EITHER PAYING CHEMICALS.
>> CARPETING, MATTRESSES,
HOUSEHOLD TRASH. THIS IS VERY
TYPICAL. WHAT YOU FIND IN THE
ILLEGAL DUMP SITES. THERE’S A
CAR SEAT OVER THERE. I MEAN,
IT’S JUST STUFF THAT LOOKS LIKE
PEOPLE.
>> WHAT ELSE TO DO WITH IT?
WELL, THAT THERE’S NO REALLY NO
NEED FOR THIS BECAUSE WE HAVE
MANY OPTIONS TO TO DISPOSE OF
UNWANTED ITEMS. AND YET IT
STILL HAPPENS ON EVERY SIDE
OF SAN ANTONIO AND NOT JUST ON
CITY STREETS, BUT ON MAJOR
HIGHWAYS TO A LOT OF THE BIG
ITEMS THAT WE SEE ARE MAYBE
MATTRESSES. COUCHES LITTER IS
A BIG PROBLEM IN TAXES. A BIG
PROBLEM WITH A BIG PRICE TAG.
TECH STOCKS SPENT 57 MILLION
DOLLARS LAST YEAR JUST ON
LITTER PICKUP.
>> NOW HE THINK THAT THAT’S
MONEY THAT COULD GO TO BE
CARRYING AND EVEN MAINTAINS
A HIGHWAY.
>> TEX DOT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR
PICKING UP WHAT’S DUMPED ALONG
STATE HIGHWAYS. THEY CONTRACT
WITH AN OUTSIDE SERVICE TO DO
THAT. PICK UP TWICE A MONTH
IF SOMETHING DUMPED ALONG THE
HIGHWAY IS CAUSING A SAFETY
CONCERN. LOPEZ SAYS THE TECH
STOCK TAKES CARE OF THAT ASAP.
SOMETIMES DUMPED BY ACCIDENT
OR NEGLIGENCE. LOT OF THE BIG
ITEMS THAT ARE FOUND ON THE
HIGHWAY ARE COMING FROM TRUCKS.
THAT ITEMS ARE
NOT SECURELY LOADED INTO THEIR
VEHICLE. BUT OTHER TIMES.
WHY COULD THIS STOP SIGN?
IS DUMPED ON PURPOSE?
AND ON CITY STREETS. IT’S THE
CITY’S SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT
DEPARTMENT THAT PICKS IT UP.
HOW DID YOU ALL GET OUT HERE
TODAY?
>> GET A LOT OF OUR INFORMATION
THROUGH THE PUBLIC BECAUSE 3,
1, 1, REPORT ILLEGAL DUMPING
TO US. AND SO WE HAVE WE PULL
LIST EVERY DAY AND OUR DRIVERS
COME OUT AND OUR CREW COMES
OUT AND WE CLEAN IT UP. BUT
THERE ARE ALSO THE SPOTS WHERE
THEY KNOW ILLEGAL DUMPING
HAPPENS AGAIN AND AGAIN.
CREWS DON’T HAVE TO WAIT FOR
SOMEONE TO CALL IT IN. THEY
HEAD TO THOSE SPOTS WEEKLY.
>> THE BEST WAY TO REPORT AN
ILLEGAL DUMP SITE CALL 3, 1,
ONE. SO IT’S SAFE. SOMEBODY
CALL 3, 1, 1, AND SAYS I’VE GOT
A BUDGET.
>> TRASH DEBRIS. MY
NEIGHBORHOOD. WHAT’S THE
PROCESS ALONG THE MAIN SUSPECT?
WHAT SOON AS WE GET THE THE
INFORMATION IS PRETTY IMMEDIATE
AND SO WILL WILL ADDRESS IT
WITHIN. 24 TO 48 HOURS, LAST
YEAR’S CITY CREWS PICKED UP
2,232 TONS OF ILLEGALLY DUMPED
STOP.
>> THEY MADE 8,388 STOPS TO
CHECK OUT ILLEGAL DUMPING.
>> WANT TO GET AS ESTIMATES
THAT 75,000 TO $80,000 IN
DISPOSAL FEES THAT ARE
ULTIMATELY PASSED ON TO YOU,
THE TAXPAYER.
IT ALL GOES TO LANDFILL CREWS
TRY TO RECYCLE WHAT THEY CAN
LIKE BRUSH TURNING THAT INTO
MOMENTS. BUT AS YOU SEE RIGHT
HERE, THERE’S
>> NOT MUCH ITEMS THAT YOU CAN
RECYCLE THEIR AND WE ALSO GOT
TO BE AWARE OF WHEN PEOPLE PUT
AWAY CHEMICALS AND ALL THAT
BECAUSE THOSE THINGS CAN FIND
THEMSELVES IN OUR STORM DRAINS
AND OUR WATERWAYS. AND SO THEY
IMPACT THE ENVIRONMENT AND
NEGATIVE WAY. IF YOU GET CAUGHT
DUMPING ALONG THE STATE HIGHWAY
ITEMS, LARGE OR SMALL, YOU CAN
BE FINED UP TO $500 THAT
ACCELERATES TO A MAXIMUM OF
$2000. IF YOU’RE A REPEAT
OFFENDER ON CITY STREETS, THE
FINE IS ANYWHERE FROM ROUGHLY
$100 TO $500. BUT THE REALITY
TALK TO ME ABOUT THE REALITY
OF SOMEONE ACTUALLY FACING A
PENALTY FOR THIS.
>> THE RE THE REALITY OF
SOMEBODY ACTUALLY FACING THE
PENALTY IS IS IS RARE. YOU
KNOW, I MEAN, IT’S YOU COULDN’T
WE’VE SEEN SOME GET SOMEBODY.
THEY REPORTED LICENSE PLATES
TO US AND SO FORTH. BUT THE
THING IS TO PROVE THAT THAT
PERSON THAT WAS ACTUALLY
DRIVING THAT CAR THINK THAT’S
WHERE THE PROBLEM LIES. AND
THEN IT’S IT’S NONE. TYPICALLY
IN THEIR EARLY MORNING HOURS OR
LATE AT NIGHT. AND SO THERE’S
NOT REALLY TOO MANY PEOPLE
FOLKS DOING THIS.
>> IN THE CITY’S MOST RECENT
BUDGET FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME
FUNDING WAS APPROVED, 14
DEDICATED TO CLEARING ILLEGAL
DUMP SITES BEFORE SOLID WASTE
WOULD PULL RESOURCES WHERE THEY
COULD DIVERTING CREWS FROM
OTHER TASKS. IT’S PART OF THE
ANSWER TO THIS UGLY PROBLEM.
AS FOR WHY SOMEONE WOULD CHOOSE
TO DO THIS, ANSWERING THAT
QUESTION IS A WHOLE LOT
TOUGHER, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE
THERE ARE ALTERNATIVES. THE
CITY HOSTS TO CURBSIDE
COLLECTIONS FOR BRUSH AND BULKY
ITEMS EVERY YEAR, 4 TIMES A
YEAR. YOU CAN TAKE A LARGE
ITEMS TO A LANDFILL AND DUMP IT
FOR FREE. THERE ARE HOUSEHOLD
HAZARDOUS WASTE DROP-OFF
CENTERS AND 4 TIMES A YEAR.
THOSE ARE MOBILE EVENTS AROUND
THE CITY. YOU CAN ALSO CALL
3, 1, 1, TO SCHEDULE WHAT’S
CALLED OUT OF CYCLE COLLECTION.
CITY CREWS WILL COME PICK UP
WHAT YOU WANT RID OF 4 FEET.
ALL THIS INFO YOU CAN FIND AT
SAN ANTONIO DOT
GOV. SLASH S W M D. IT’S VERY
FRUSTRATING. THIS IMPACTS
EVERYBODY NEGATIVELY AFFECTS
THEIR THEIR PROPERTY VALUES,
SOME BREEDING GROUND FOR
SKITTLES DISEASE, CARING
RODENTS.
>> AND SO AT THE END OF THE
DAY, WE WE FOOT THE BILL FOR
THIS AND WE BEING THE