Members of the campus community who witness illegal dumping on or near university property are urged to report incidents to the University Police Department.

The latest episode of illegal dumping occurred in mid-March on a dirt road off Temple Avenue that leads to the hills where cattle graze and to the back of the John T. Lyle Center for Regenerative Studies. The dumping consisted mostly of construction debris and dirt.

FP&M bears the cost of removing the waste from illegal dumping. The disposal often involves the rental of a dumpster, which can cost $500 or more, in additional to costs incurred by Landscape Services for labor by staff members and the use of heavy equipment that can amount to several hundred dollars.

Crews from Facilities Planning & Management (FP&M) are routinely called by University Police to clear the Illegal dumping, which often is composed of debris from construction work, broken asphalt, dilapidated furniture and even old toilets. The debris can also contain possibly hazardous materials that must be inspected by Environmental Health & Safety before disposal.

"Not only is illegal dumping costly for the university, cleaning up the debris from illegal dumping creates more work for us and also creates a backlog of work that was scheduled for that day," said Brian Lake, the interim manager of Landscape Services. "Help us deter illegal dumping on campus."

Incidents of illegal dumping reached a peak during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Cal Poly Pomona was closed and only essential personnel were on campus. One of the prime locations of illegal dumping was along East Campus Drive near the orange groves. Dumping also has occurred in out-of-way sites on the outskirts of the campus.

If members of the campus community witness illegal dumping, they are urged not to confront suspects but call the University Police Department at Ext. 3070 or (909) 869-3070.