Crews in Snohomish County hauled away 11 tons of trash and derelict RVs this week — on just one street. The clean-up is part of an effort to remove abandoned vehicles and trash plaguing the county.
On Thursday, the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office posted on Facebook that they had three derelict RVs and 11.71 tons of garbage removed from the 13600 block of 26th Place West.
Days earlier on April 1, the sheriff's office posted that one derelict RV, that had generated numerous complaints about trash and needles, was removed from a business and residential community, located near Alexander and 119th Street SW.
Viktor Fisenko lives in the area, and he says he's relieved the RV and litter are no longer there.
"We feel free now. Seriously, it was big problem for this area," said Fisenko.
When the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office finds abandoned vehicles, they can call in the Public Works Solid Waste Environmental Clean-up team. Eventually, the abandoned vehicles end up at Cathcart Way Operations Center, according to Dave Schonhard, Operations Manager for Snohomish County Solid Waste.
"We use this location to stockpile and store," said Schonhard.
Behind some of the busted and broken vehicles is a story.
"It is sad. It really is sad that we have people that live in conditions like that," Schonhard said.
According to the county, the numbers for abandoned vehicles keep climbing. In 2015, there were 70 cases. In 2016, the number rose to 131. In 2017, it was 161.
"Last year we had 216 abandoned vehicles on public property," said Schonhard.
The county will hold on to abandoned vehicles for 30 days, just in case the registered owner decides to claim it.