Oakland deploys new “lightning loaders” to clean up illegal dumping debris

By Da Lin

Oakland cleanup crews have a new tool in the city’s ongoing battle against illegal dumping: a giant mechanical claw designed to quickly remove large, bulky piles of trash.

The city received a new “lightning loader” this week, and Public Works officials said the machine is already making a noticeable difference. Between Monday and Thursday, the machine picked up about 17 tons of trash, according to city officials.

“It’s exciting to me,” said Thomasene Williams, a longtime West Oakland resident. “I was so pleased walking out here and seeing all the helpers and the machine going. It means a lot, it means that my neighborhood is getting better.”

Williams had reported two piles of illegally dumped material to the city’s 311 system. One had been sitting outside her apartment complex for about two weeks, she said, while another pile of concrete and wood had been there for nearly a month.

The debris also made it more difficult for Williams to walk her dog, Sexy, in the neighborhood.

“She’s 16 years old. She needs her exercise,” Williams said.

The city owns two older lightning loaders, but officials said both have been out for repairs. The new model arrived this week, giving cleanup crews another option for tackling illegal dumping.

Tim Glasper, a veteran Public Works employee who operates the machine, said the loader and its claw can dramatically reduce the time it takes to remove large piles.

“This changed the game a lot,” Glasper said. “It also saves your back from the physical labor. It scoops and picks up so much at one time. It makes everything a lot faster.”

Glasper said removing some of the large piles by hand could have taken crews about an hour. The Lightning Loader cleared the debris in roughly 10 minutes near the corner of 33rd Street and San Pablo Avenue.

“It’s time efficient,” Glasper said. “So we’re able to pick it up fast and move to another location.”

But city officials said faster cleanup is only one part of Oakland’s strategy to combat illegal dumping.

The city recently added three enforcement officers who can issue citations to illegal dumpers. Officials also have increased fines, which Public Works Director Liam Garland said start at $1,000 for a first offense and can reach $5,000 for multiple offenses.

Councilwoman Carroll Fife, who represents District 3, said the city is also strategically placing cameras in dumping hot spots.

“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,” said Fife.

Williams said she believes the city will need to continue its enforcement and cleanup efforts to prevent illegal dumping. She supports the work, she said, in part because of the potential danger the discarded material poses to her elderly dog.

“I’m very happy for the simple reason, she smells and I’m constantly having to watch her to make sure she’s not picking up a needle or anything that’s not really healthy for her,” Williams said.

The city is expected to receive another rented lightning loader next week, bringing the number of new machines to two.

Once the two older machines are repaired, officials say cleanup crews will have additional equipment to remove illegally dumped trash more quickly and close out 311 complaints faster.