Alameda County's strategy for beating its illegal dumping problem is working and the rest of the Bay Area is signing on

"Underneath an overpass on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and 36th Street in Oakland, a stripped 17-foot 1981 Bayliner boat is stranded in a sea of plastic wrappers, broken furniture and bike frames one of the more conspicuous objects to be found in the many illegal dumpsites throughout the Bay Area. A boat and discarded items accumulate on Martin Luther King Jr Way sidewalk near 36th Street in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)"

"This nautical eyesore aside, Alameda County has been lauded as one of the foremost policymakers in combating illegal dumping in recent years, launching a pilot program in 2018 that has evolved into a regional and statewide strategy. The county's aggressive efforts on the issue will be shared with other Bay Area leaders at a conference in October to galvanize support for a coordinated response to the problem."

"There is no one size fits all' approach we need comprehensive solutions that prevent illegal dumping, remove it quickly, and hold dumpers accountable, Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley said in an email to Bay Area News Group. Miley has made addressing illegal dumping a priority in his office since 2016, developing the multi-agency Alameda County Illegal Dump (ACID) Taskforce, which launched in 2018. The task force created a blueprint that can be applied across the county."

Alameda County developed a pilot program in 2018 that evolved into a regional and statewide strategy to combat illegal dumping. The multi-agency Alameda County Illegal Dump (ACID) Taskforce applied a three-prong 3Es approach: education, eradication and enforcement. During the year-long pilot the task force removed over 50 tons of trash and issued more than 100 citations while focusing on notorious sites in East Oakland. County officials plan to share the program at a conference to coordinate a regional response. Officials say measurable success depended on funding and prosecutorial follow-through and requires comprehensive solutions to prevent and quickly remove dumping.

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