AB&I Foundry, part of the Oakland Industrial Alliance (OIA), has teamed up with County Supervisor Nate Miley on his Pilot Program based on an emerging best practices to address illegal dumping that is plaguing the community. This multi-faceted approach aims to clean up existing waste and prevent future illegal dumping practices.

Through the pilot program, local businesses, non-profits, and community groups have partnered to contribute to the movement. AB&I Foundry and Argent Materials are both allocating staff hours and equipment to clean up the area. The Beautification Council and Men of Valor are providing on-the-ground support. Supervisor Miley is working with a team of his staff and local high school interns to educate the neighborhood on strategies to combat illegal dumping.

“This illegal dumping remediation program is important to the local community. By working as a team with local businesses, residents, and community leadership, we are collectively finding ways to combat the disheartening behavior of illegal dumping while improving the community where people live and work," said Michael Lowe, the general manager of AB&I Foundry.

In July, Supervisor Miley hosted a community celebration to highlight the progress of his illegal dumping pilot program where neighbors were invited to learn more about the program for East Oakland. The supervisor’s pilot program aims to end illegal dumping through street cleanups, community outreach, and new partnerships between the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O’Malley, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, and Oakland City Council Members Larry Reid and Rebecca Kaplan.

“I am so proud to be part of this community and forging the partnerships needed to take action and improve our surroundings here in East Oakland,” said Zeydi Gutierrez, director of community relations at AB&I Foundry. “We’ve been part of the fabric of this community for over a century and have witnessed the increase in illegal dumping, so we’ve decided make a difference.”

Oakland says it has at least 100 illegal dumping hotspots. This is a plague to the community that needs to be addressed with rigorous enforcement for violators.