TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Tucsonans participating in the city’s “Brush and Bulky” plus program are asked to leave their unwanted materials where their weekly trash is collected. Yet that’s not what’s happening in Barrio Nopal, a Southside neighborhood.
Residents say the items are instead illegally dumped in an empty lot within the neighborhood.
“This is a recipe for disaster," said Carlos Bent, a 20-year Barrio Nopal resident.
He says constant illegal dumping has taken over in the area for the last 6-7 years.
“It’s at all hours of night, at the wee hours of the morning, you can hear noise," said Bent. "Now I'm programmed that if I hear noise, I run outside and make sure somebody's not dumping trash on the side of my house and 50% of the time they are.”
Bent tells me children from Challenger Middle School walk by the trash going to and from school.
“It's a health issue, it's a safety issue, it's a fire safety—there's a lot of things involved and there's not going to be any good outcome if this doesn't stop," Bent said.
Bent adds how verbal altercations often happen between homeowners and those dumping trash.
“And when you tell them, you know, ‘Hey, there's signs posted, you're not supposed to be dumping here’, they get nasty and it's been several times that has gotten close to a physical altercation," Bent described.
Bent takes pride in where he lives and says he wants the city to fix issues with its “brush and bulky” plus program.
“But this—it's got to stop. It's got to stop. I dare any of them to live here while this is happening and go through what we go through," said Bent.
Ward 1 council member Lane Santa Cruz says their office is aware of the matter at hand. They provided the following statement.
"My office has received multiple reports of illegal dumping, which have been forwarded to Environmental Services for cleanup. However, I know this is not a long-term solution. Illegal dumping is a growing environmental justice issue, and I’ve made it a top priority. Environmental Services now has dedicated staff focused on this problem, and I’ve directed them to explore new solutions, including an "on-demand" brush and bulky item collection program to help reduce illegal dumping by eliminating scheduled pickups, giving residents more flexible service.
Additionally, the city is exploring the use of 'Smart Parks' cameras and working with Tucson Police to improve enforcement. We’re seeing hotspots near Challenger Middle School, recycling centers, and Nogales Highway. Addressing illegal dumping is crucial for creating a cleaner, safer, and more equitable environment for all our communities."
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Jacqueline Aguilar is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9. Born and raised in Yuma, AZ., she is no stranger to the unforgiving Arizona heat. Now this U of A wildcat is excited to be back in Tucson and is looking forward to involving herself in the community. Share your story ideas with Jacqueline by emailing jacqueline.aguilar@kgun9.com or connecting on Facebook, Instagram or X.
