Volunteers remove industrial waste from popular off-roading beach in Richmond

For the fifth time in three years, a team of volunteers has removedillegally dumped waste from a popular off-road site in Richmond, B.C.

Triangle Beach, off Number 6 Road, is a popular site for people to drive off-road vehicles through mud and sand.

It's also a popular place for the dumping of industrial waste like tiles, cementand cable.

David Clarke, who lives in North Vancouver, took his nephew driving at the site two-and-a-halfyears ago. The pair noticed all the waste and decided to do something about it.

Since 2017, Clarke has organized a cleanup through the Four Wheel Drive Association of B.C. on the last Sunday of every May and the first Sunday of September.

"The first year we couldn't get it all clean, it was that bad," he said.

He says the first year around 100 volunteers pulled out around 6,000 kilograms of waste.

"It's been getting less and less, just because we have made such an impactand, even though the dumping is still happening, we're on top of it and we are making a huge difference in just getting this whole area clean," he said.

Illegal dumping is a problem across Metro Vancouver, with construction waste tossed illegally to avoid fees at dumps.

• Trash crop: How illegal dumping is ruining B.C. farmland
• Illegal dumping in Vancouver grows by 40%
• Hidden cameras fight illegal dumping that costs taxpayers millions each year

Richmond says illegal dumping is increasing in the city, costingtaxpayers tens of thousands of dollars each year.

"Illegal dumping is harmful to our environment, unsightly and illegal," it says on its website.

People can be fined $1000 for illegal dumping under Richmond's bylaws, which also require dumpersto remove the waste and restore the area.

The cityalso offers a $200 reward for residents if they reportillegal dumping and itleads to a bylaw conviction.

'Do not dump'

Clarke's cleanup event of Triangle Beach was bolstered with volunteers from Telus, whose employees are encouraged to give theirtime through a program called Days of Giving.

Mary AnnMarsh was one of them. The Steveston resident says she'd likepeople to be more considerate about dealing with waste.

"Please do not dump your stuff in my backyard," she said.