‘Nothing is getting done about it’

“It’s just blowing all over the place and nothing is getting done about it,” said Scussel, who works at a nearby auto facility. Repeated calls and requests for comment from Frito-Lay about the problem for this article have gone unanswered.

So Scussel took his concerns to Brisbane city officials, who visited the site and photographed the litter which spews beyond the Frito-Lay fence line into the rain channel and base of San Bruno Mountain, where dozens of bags are strewn.

Randy Breault, the city’s emergency services director, said officials recently issued a violation notice to the company, requiring Frito-Lay to address the problem.

“Based on what was found, we chose to issue a notice of violation with a timeline of 10 days to correct all deficiencies or be subject to administrative citation,” Breault said in an email. “Additionally, the issuance of a [notice of violation] automatically places that site in a more frequent schedule for ongoing inspections to assist them in remaining in compliance.”

Should the company not address the problem, Breault said it could be exposed to citations and ultimately referral to the city attorney for legal action.

Scussel, who has been working nearby for roughly five years, said he took notice of the issue during his lunch breaks which he would enjoy outside. Over that time he periodically reached out to Frito-Lay about the garbage, but most of his calls to action went ignored.

The most response Scussel received was a staffer picking up the trash stuck in the fence inside the Frito-Lay property, he said, but the debris leaking into the surrounding area continued unabated.

So Scussel took action into his own hands, walking the long dirt stretch between the distribution facility and nearby open space, collecting pounds of discarded foil bags, cardboard boxes and advertising signs seemingly originating from the facility.

While dumpsters abut the Frito-Lay property line, Scussel said he has not identified the origin of the trash. In the meantime though, he remains hopeful the company would be more thoughtful and proactive in preserving the environment.

More frustrating for Scussel is the steps he takes as a consumer to be conscious about environmental impacts, only to see a corporation seemingly unbothered by the rubbish it produces.

“With this type of garbage, it hasn’t even made it to the consumer,” he said.

Picking through the trash left behind at the facility, Scussel found bags with antiquated branding and unclear dates, making it impossible to know the amount of time the items were left to deteriorate into the soil or get blown into the nearby open space.

Some of the mess was cleared out of the rain channel Thursday, Jan. 17, in the wake of the hard wind and rain which arrived with the storm that swept across the Peninsula. Instead the mess washed toward the Bay, protected by a last line of natural defense comprised of shrubs which have amassed dozens more old bags tangled in their limbs.

For the time being, Scussel said he plans to continue collecting the trash with hopes that eventually Frito-Lay will take action and clean up its act.

“Ideally, they would clean up all the stuff out in the park, in the drainage ditch and figure out a way to prevent more of it,” he said.

austin@smdailyjournal.com

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