Somewhere there’s a homeowner in Delta, Surrey or perhaps New West or Richmond, with a major renovation underway, who might recognize some illegally dumped debris.
It’s a growing problem in Delta, say Delta police, and it’s already cost taxpayers and private residents about $50,000 to $60,000 in the past two weeks.
“We’re hoping by releasing pictures of this dumped debris, that someone might recognize items from their renovation and contact police,” said Cris Leykauf spokesperson for Delta Police.
Residents are asked to call 604-946-4411 and quote file #20-22163 with any tips for police.
Large dump truck or bin sized loads of renovation waste, potentially from more than one project, has been dumped farm areas and off rural roads in North and South Delta, say police.
The mixed renovation waste includes uncontained drywall, lumber, insulation, glass, plumbing pipes, flooring, and some residential household waste. The drywall poses an environmental and health hazard as at least one of the dump sites has tested positive for asbestos content and required specialized clean up and disposal methods.
The cost to City of Delta can reach or exceed $10,000 per dump site.
“As contents appear to be mixed, officers believe they have come from various locations,” said Leykauf, adding the investigation is ongoing. “Our residents enjoy the many open and green areas in Delta, and illegal dumping directly impacts everyone. While at least in one case the costs of clean-up has had to be directly born by the property owner, all Delta residents are unfortunately going to be paying for this.”
Leykauf said depending on circumstances, penalties may include bylaw offences and fines and criminal mischief charges. With hazardous waste, penalties can be up to $1 million under the Environmental Management Act, and six months in jail.
