Apple Valley cites, fines illegal dumpers caught in the act

APPLE VALLEY, Calif. – October 2, 2020:  In response to a call from a concerned resident reporting an illegal dumping in progress, last week Apple Valley Police and Code Enforcement officers responded to the area of Del Oro and Kiowa roads to investigate. 

Upon arrival, they observed a rented U-Haul truck stuck in the desert with both the driver and an occupant of the truck illegally dumping the truck’s contents into the open desert.

The subjects were issued criminal citations for illegal dumping and their vehicle was towed.

“It is unfortunate that people choose to desecrate our beautiful open deserts needlessly. All of the waste they were illegally dumping could have been dropped off for free at any one of the Town’s Cleanup Days,” said Code Enforcement Manager Guy Eisenbrey.  “I encourage residents to report similar activity to keep our neighborhoods and our desert clean.”

The reporting party is eligible to receive a $500 reward from Burrtec Waste, as part of the Town’s continued efforts to prevent illegal dumping.

To report illegal dumping in progress, please call the Sheriff’s Dispatch at (760) 956-5001 or call the Town’s Code Enforcement office at (760) 240-7560. You can also report dump sites by sending a photo to code@applevalley.org or through the Town’s revamped mobile app, “Apple Valley Connect.”

There are two final Neighborhood Cleanup Days scheduled this year, Oct. 17 and Nov. 7, at Lion’s Park, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.  Residents can discard yard waste, household trash, broken small appliances, furniture, metal and more. Tires, TVs and other household electronics can be discarded at the Town’s Household Hazardous Waste Collection Site located at 13450 Nomwaket Road on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

To learn more about all the Town’s free Community Enhancement Programs, including cleanup days, tire drop off, large item pickup, graffiti removal, visit www.AVCode.org.

The Town has collected 541,000 pounds of trash and 2,460 tires at its trash cleanup days this year. In 2019, it collected 674,500 pounds and 3,400 tires.

This year, the Town’s Community Enhancement Crew has removed 197,000 pounds of illegally dumped trash and is on pace to surpass the 220,000 pounds it collected in 2019.