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October 02, 2013
San Francisco, California - The Bayview area of San Francisco, California is cracking down on individuals and companies illegally dumping hazardous materials in the community. In an effort to curtail the illegal dumping while catching the perpetrators, the Department of Public Works is beginning a series of “sting operations.”
Bayview has seen the worst of the illegal dumping in the Bay Area. Perpetrators are using the cloak of night and an extensive knowledge of the area to get rid of unwanted materials while remaining under the radar of officials. The hope is that with the sting operations, officials will be able to catch the illegal dumpers in the act. Armed with a $300,000 grant from the California Integrated Waste Management Board, San Francisco is now watching twenty-five known locations or “hot spots” for illegal dumping in Bayview.
In a response to the uptick of illegal dumping, San Francisco has taken an aggressive stance by pinning the cost of the clean up efforts on the perpetrators. City officials are also encouraging neighbors to report illegal dumping on the streets.
If hazardous materials such as asbestos, oils, paints, broken glass and other industrial products can cause extensive damages to the environment and to the health of the community. Solvents and other liquid-based chemicals can leech into the soil and ground water, and solid materials such as asbestos can break a part and contaminate the air. Properly disposing hazardous materials is highly regulated at the local, state and federal levels. However, safely handling, removing and ultimately, dumping hazardous materials, especially asbestos, can be a costly endeavor.
Classified as a carcinogen on the same level as cigarettes, asbestos is a highly toxic mineral primarily used in manufacturing settings. However, since the discovery of asbestos' lethality, mining for and manufacturing with asbestos has been banned in the United States. Exposure to friable or loosened asbestos is known to cause mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer with an aggressive terminal rate. Though mesothelioma cancer has a long latency rate, exposure to asbestos can cause immediate health issues.
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