The Environmental Sustainability Board will discuss the ordinance that addresses the placement and maintance of roll carts during its meeting at 5:30 p.m. today in the Municipal Building. The goal is to prevent what is occurring in this picture: wildlife getting into garbage cans. This picture was taken in October 2016 off Canyon Road. Photo by Robert Cunningham
Garbage cans and bears are a bad combination. When a bear dumpster dives, it raises safety concerns for people and may spell death for the animal.
To address this issue, the Environmental Sustainability Board (ESB) is considering making amendments to the code ordinance that addresses the placement and maintenance of roll carts. The ordinance will be discussed during the ESB meeting at 5:30 p.m. today in Room 110 in the Los Alamos County Municipal Building.
A few things could happen during the meeting: ESB could table the issue, vote to present its recommended changes to the County Council for approval or make additional revisions to the ordinance.
A representative from the Department of Game and Fish is scheduled to attend the meeting.
The most significant changes to the ordinance address where a roll cart can be stored and instituting penalties for violating the ordinance.
The current proposed revisions state: “Solid waste roll carts shall be stowed in a secure location. The solid waste roll cart shall be stored in an enclosed structure sufficient to prevent the entry of wildlife common to the area such as bears, raccoons, foxes, coyotes and/or crows.”
Furthermore, the proposed revisions include “Penalties: Upon conviction of a first violation of this ordinance within a five-year period as measured from dates of offense, the fine imposed by the Municipal Court shall not exceed $50. Upon conviction of a second or subsequent violation of this ordinance in a five period as measured from the dates of offense, the fine imposed by the Municipal Court shall not exceed $200.”
Environmental Services Division Manager Angelica Gurule said steps have been taken to address the problem with bears getting into trash cans.
For instance, last summer bear proof dumpsters were purchased for the different senior centers as well as Los Alamos Medical Center and several restaurants where food waste is common.
She explained the Environmental Services Division is working to decrease the interaction between humans and bears so there are no maulings and no euthanized bears.
“Our primary goal is the safety of the community,” Gurule said.
If the food source is eliminated, she explained, they won’t come back. It’s important to stop bears from seeking food in town because Game and Fish do not relocate adult bears; they are euthanized.
“I hate to say it but a fed bear is a dead bear,” Gurule said.
She emphasizes the proposed amended ordinance is geared toward protecting the public.
“The ordinance is aiming to keep the public safe by minimizing the human/bear interaction by taking away the food source or securing that food source,” she said.
Gurule also pointed out that the ESB and Environmental Services Division are not experts on bears but the board is just trying to provide preventative measures to protect people and bears.
While ESB is attempting to be proactive, a few questions arise with the revised ordinance such as what should households without garages, sheds or other enclosed structures do to stow roll carts? Gurule said an alternative could be to get bear-proofed carts. However, those are expensive. She said they cost $200, which is double the amount of a regular roll cart. She added that cables for carts as well as tutorials on how to install the cables are available but the feedback on the cables’ effectiveness has been mixed.
Homeowners also can take measures into their own hands by removing bird feeders, cleaning barbecues and washing out trash cans. It also is a good idea to pull out trash cans for collection the morning of collection day rather than the night before.
