San Francisco City Attorney sues man for illegal dumping

By Brent Begin, Bay City News Service

August 24, 2006

SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) - A man accused of dumping used rolls of carpet in a darkened corner of the Bayview neighborhood could face fines of almost $100,000 if convicted, the San Francisco city attorney's office announced yesterday.

Wilfredo Amaya, along with 50 unidentified plaintiffs allegedly caught on cameras installed in April as part of a pilot project, is facing charges of illegal dumping and unfair business practices, city officials said at a news conference yesterday at the intersection of Thomas Avenue and Griffith Street, a site notorious for illegal dumpers.

Supervisor Sophie Maxwell worked to get the cameras installed in six different areas in the Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood, which is the target of an estimated 35 percent of the annual total refuse illegally dumped in the city, according to the department of public works.

One of the cameras caught a man unloading rolls of carpet and other debris from a black van on 16 separate occasions. The camera also picked up the van's license plate, which is registered to Amaya, according to the city attorney's office.

Fred Abadi, director of the department of public works, thanked Maxwell for her part in installing the cameras, which can be removed and installed in different areas.

"Illegal dumping is a serious issue in San Francisco," Abadi said. "It degrades our neighborhoods and our city and those who are caught will be held accountable."

According to City Attorney Dennis Herrera, the lawsuit is the first of its kind filed by the city. Amaya faces a $25,000 fine for taxpayer restitution and an additional $2,500 per instance under the unfair business practices law. On top of the 16 instances he is allegedly caught on camera, he is also accused of dumping on seven other occasions where he wasn't caught on tape.

"The people of Bayview-Hunters Point deserve to live in a neighborhood that is safe, clean and aggressively protected from public nuisances like illegal dumping," Herrera said. "Wilfredo Amaya's actions show a blatant disregard for the law, and utter contempt for taxpayers whose dollars have been spent cleaning up his messes for the last nine months."

Amaya was not immediately available for comment.

Anyone with information to report on illegal dumping in San Francisco is encouraged to call (415) 282-5326.

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