Oakland is turning to heavy-duty equipment as it works to tackle the growing piles of illegally dumped trash cluttering streets across the city.
City crews have deployed a powerful grappling truck known as the “Lightning Loader,” using it to collect nearly 34,000 pounds of debris from Oakland neighborhoods.
At 33rd Street and San Pablo Avenue in West Oakland, trash had been stacked up for about two months before the “Lightning Loader” moved in and quickly clawed the mess away.
The illegal dumping included large pieces of concrete and wood, creating obstacles that made it hard for residents to walk freely in front of their homes.
“It’s exciting to me. I was so pleased walking out here and seeing all the helpers and the machine going. Yes, it means a lot. It means that my neighborhood is getting better,” one resident told KPIX.
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“This changed the game — a lot. And it also saves your back for the physical labor. But the scoops, it picks up so much at one time. It makes everything a lot faster,” a worker who operates the Lightning Loader said.
According to the worker, a cleanup job that would normally take a grueling hour by hand was finished in just 10 minutes with the machine.
Oakland already owns two similar trucks, but both are older models that needed repairs. In the meantime, city officials began renting the grappling truck for $7,500 a month and expect to receive another one in the coming days.
To combat illegal dumping, Oakland is also deploying three new environmental enforcement officers to catch suspects.
“With the cameras that we’re having — that I’m strategically placing around my district — where a lot of the dumping happens. We’re starting to make more citations so that people know, don’t come here with your trash,” City Council Member Carroll Fife said.
Along with the illegal dumping, Oakland has an estimated 4,410 homeless people and over 1,900 different locations home to encampments.
While homelessness decreased by 20% over the past two years, Oakland still has one of the biggest homeless populations in California.
