Who’s supposed to clean illegally-dumped trash by Transmountain Road?

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Illegal dumping is an issue across El Paso County, but many El Pasoans might not have seen it hidden along Transmountain Road — especially below the westside overlooks.

The piles of garbage range from bottles and cans of alcohol to tires and construction materials -- something the wind is not solely responsible for. 

For more than a year now, ABC-7's Nicole Ardila has been looking for answers on who's responsible for picking up trash from what could be illegal dumping, and what will be done about it.

"This mess of trash being out there has been around for as long as I can remember," says Rick Flores, retired firefighter and executive director of the non-profit Desert Rescue 915.

In 2024, Flores founded Desert Rescue to battle illegal dumping in El Paso County. Ardila showed him the heavily-littered area.

"For me to come down there and figure out a way to come down here and get rid of all the tires, construction material, flat screen TVs, I think we can do it, it’s just getting permission from the right people," he said.

Not only does trash impact the view, it impacts wildlife.

Lois Balin, an urban biologist from Texas Parks and Wildlife, said the Chihuahuan Desert is abundant with plants and animals. 

"Everybody can agree that it's a real eyesore, and this splendid, magnificent, natural habitat kind of gets tarnished," said Balin.

She said something as small as a cigarette butt in the wild can litter toxins with arsenic and heavy metals, contaminating the soil and the plants wildlife eat.

According to El Paso police, dumping as little as five pounds of trash is a misdemeanor that can get you a $500 fine.

Dumping 1,000 pounds of trash or more is a state jail felony. You can face up to two years in jail with a $10,000 fine.

When looking for answers on whose responsibility it is to clean the area, the City of El Paso, TPWD, and TxDOT pointed fingers.

Transmountain Road belongs to TxDOT, and it said it maintains it weekly.

The desert area past the road falls within the City of El Paso's District 1. A year later, TPWD confirmed the natural area past West Overlook 1 is about 50 acres of the now more than 28,000-acre Franklin Mountains State Park.

With 10 employees, State Park Superintendent Cesar Mendez said they don't have the resources to clean it up.

In an interview, he told Ardila the following:

Mendez: "The six, seven people that I could pull off, one day, you think we're going to make a dent teaming up? That's why we rely on organizations and volunteers."

Ardila: "So my question is, what is the solution for that? It can't just stay there, or is it going to?"

Mendez: "I mean, if we don't have the manpower to go and pick it up. What would be the solution? So, what do you suggest? You suggest that I pull all of my resources from the park and go and clean up that location?"

Ardila: "Is it not a priority?"

Mendez: "No, not for the park right now because we have other priorities in the park."

This year, TPWD told ABC-7 those priorities are maintaining public-use areas like trails, the visitor center, public restrooms, parking, picnic and campsites.

TPWD sent ABC-7 this partial quote via email:

"The area below West Overlook 1 on Transmountain Road […] is difficult to access and unsafe with steep slopes and loose rock, making navigating through uneven terrain challenging. Park staff have picked up debris and trash in the area several times, but it is not an easy task and is time-consuming."

TPWD did not respond when asked how many times they've gone to clean it or when the last time was.

Ardila asked Flores, Balin and Mendez what they believe the solution is. All agreed that it takes an educational campaign and collaborative effort from cleanup groups and local and state departments.

In late May, the City of El Paso approved a new public education campaign called "Beautify our City" to provide residents with information on proper waste disposal, cleanup services, and how to report illegal dumping.

Trash is properly disposed in waste bins and designated dumpsters.

You can report illegal dumping by calling 311.

Watch the full story in Ardila's special report, "Trash Mountain," Wednesday at 10 p.m. only on ABC-7.