Garbage: Dump closure is causing problems

While many of the business and service shutdowns make sense in response to the virus situation, one is puzzling. No self-haul residential garbage or yard waste is allowed at the Tacoma Recovery Center.

Why is this not an essential business? Couldn’t it continue to operate with some adjustments?

Already we’re seeing the effects of trash piling up in the city and elsewhere. People will dump their garbage if there’s not a resource for them. Areas in the city that already have issues with dumping are accumulating even more garbage.

This poses health risks, invites rats and adds to pollution. The longer we wait to reopen, the bigger the problem.

There was little communication from the city on this decision and many of us are struggling to understand the rationale.

This story was originally published April 18, 2020 at 4:15 PM with the headline "Garbage: Dump closure is causing problems."