Think twice before dumping trash on the side of the road—the County of Monterey is watching.

Erik Chalhoub here. It seems like every day I come across a pile of trash on the side of North County’s rural roads, dumped by someone either unaware of the proper disposal services available in Monterey County, unable to afford to do so, or just plain lazy.

Illegal dumping has long been a problem in Monterey County, especially in low-populated rural areas where it’s easy to pull over, unload garbage from a vehicle and leave within less than a minute, hoping not to be spotted.

So it comes as no surprise that all of the County of Monterey’s six cameras for its illegal dumping pilot surveillance project have been installed in the northern regions of the county.

The cameras, according to Environmental Health Bureau Supervisor Maria Ferdin, have been placed in the public right-of-way at known dumping hotspots—and there’s no shortage of them. The three locations are equipped with two cameras each, which are able to capture vehicles and people through a high-resolution image, as well as read license plates, allowing the county to track down the owners of the vehicles.

So far, since the cameras were installed in fall 2024, one citation has been issued, according to Ferdin. And the fines are nothing to sniff at: In early 2024, the Board of Supervisors increased the fines for littering in the unincorporated areas of the county to $2,500-$10,000, depending on the number of violations. That’s up from $100-$500.

“Illegal dumping is not free,” Ferdin said. “We all pay for it. It can be a cost to the environment, especially if you’re disposing of unknown liquids on the side of the road. Visually, it’s a blight, and blight attracts more blight. It’s an ongoing cycle.”

Many common things that are dumped can be taken to the landfill for free, such as mattresses, she said. Up to 10 mattresses can be disposed of for free at ReGen Monterey in Marina and at Salinas Valley Recycles.

In addition, through May 31, CalRecycle and Salinas Valley Recycles are offering free tire recycling (limit nine per trip) for Salinas Valley residents at three locations: Salinas Valley Recycles Recycling Center, 1104 Madison Lane, Salinas; Johnson Canyon Landfill, 31400 Johnson Canyon Road, Gonzales; and Jolon Road Transfer Station, 52654 Jolon Road, King City. 

Currently there are no plans to add more cameras, but eventually the hope is to rotate the current six at different spots throughout the county. You can report illegal dumping and learn more about what can be disposed of on the County of Monterey’s website.