Oakland’s ‘Lightning Loader’ scoops up more than 17 tons of illegal dumping debris, city says
OAKLAND, Calif. —
The city of Oakland has a new tool to remove massive piles of trash around the city.
The “Lightning Loader” lets crews use what’s called a boom arm to scoop up debris and drop it into the back of a waste materials truck. It works similarly to what Sacramento residents would refer to as “The Claw.”
According to the city, this machinery has already picked up 17 tons of trash in less than a week.
Oakland resident Evelyn Wilmtoh expressed feeling relief over the increased cleanup efforts. She spoke of a pile of garbage she noted had been there for two months, where she believes people passing by added to the pile, taking up an entire parking spot.
“Thank God—we needed it,” Wilmtoh said. “Now I can finally park there.”
The city is expecting a second truck to arrive within the coming days. There are also three new officers who search through illegal dump sites to figure out who is responsible for dumping the trash.
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