Five years into a city effort to stop illegal dumping, community leaders and environmentalists say the problem is still chronic across O'ahu.

"I'm seeing a lot more bags of trash and green waste, and still the assortment of beds, refrigerators, tables and lawn chairs," said Carroll Cox, president of Envirowatch, Inc. "I have become quite concerned. I thought we'd have a handle on it by now."

In 2003, the city formed the Coalition to Stop Illegal Dumping, made up of concerned residents and organizations. Shortly afterward, a host of measures to curb illegal dumping went into effect, from setting up a hot line to report dumping and instituting islandwide curbside pickup of bulky trash to extending service hours at all trash drop-off convenience centers and stepping up surveillance at sites frequently used by illegal dumpers.

The state has also passed several laws to increase fines and punishments for illegal dumpers.

And though there have been some success stories in the wake of the measures — including Kapa'a Quarry Road, where residents say illegal dumping has dropped off dramatically in recent years — other neighborhoods are seeing more illegal dumping than ever.

The situation has city and state officials and community activists stumped, and in these tough economic times, it's unlikely agencies will get much added funding to fight illegal dumping, either with community campaigns or more enforcement.

'A CONSTANT BATTLE'

Many point out that illegal dumping is a problem locally and nationally — and one that it appears no city or state has solved.

"I don't know of any particular state that's defeated illegal dumping," said Dean Higuchi, Hawai'i spokesman for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. "It's a difficult situation, and it's going to be a constant battle."

Markus Owens, spokesman for the city Environmental Services Department, said more fines and enforcement is key to stopping repeat offenders. But he said dumpers are hard to catch, and witnesses often don't want to come forward for fear of retaliation.

Local, state and federal law enforcement officials also have limited resources to tackle illegal dumping. The state Department of Health recently discontinued a $90,000 annual grant to the state Attorney General's office for its environmental crimes unit. The unit, with just two agents, had secured more than 20 convictions for illegal dumping from 2004 until last month, when its funding was cut because of other priorities at the state Health Department.

A spokeswoman for the Attorney General's office said environmental crimes will still be investigated, just not by agents assigned to the specialized unit.

Higuchi said the unit was especially helpful because it worked to bridge the gap between local and federal agencies. The agents in the environmental crimes unit worked with police and the EPA to track down dumpers. The EPA also has two investigators who respond to large-scale illegal dumping reports, as well as other environmental crimes.

AWARENESS IS CRUCIAL

Meanwhile, city and state agencies can also pursue dumping through civil actions, with warnings or citations. The city Department of Planning and Permitting and Health Department both have investigators who can look into dumping complaints. But in most cases, the departments contact the landlord to clean up the mess, even if the dumping was done by someone else.

Beyond enforcement, environmentalists say community awareness is crucial to curbing illegal dumping.

In Kalihi, one nonprofit has been trying to stop dumping in streambeds by getting volunteers involved and spreading the word about what illegal dumping does to the environment. Chana Dudoit, the project manager for Kalihi Ahupua'a Ulu Pono Ahahui, said people have dumped everything from appliances to car engines up and down Kalihi Stream. One of the biggest problems, she said, is car batteries.

She said if more residents spoke out against dumpers, the problem wouldn't be so bad.

Later this year, the group will survey Kalihi Stream to find all the dumping spots. The project is meant to clean up chronic dumping sites, but also to get more residents involved in reporting illegal dumping.

"We want to get them ... calling somebody if they see any dumping," Dudoit said.

Cox, of Envirowatch, said another possible solution is more education about how to dispose of trash properly and longer hours at the city's transfer stations, especially on weekends. The hours at the stations were extended over the last several years, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. But Cox said they should remain open until 9 p.m.

"We're not asking for 24-hour coverage," he said.

THE DUMPING HOT LINE

The city kicked off its campaign to curb illegal dumping in 2003, and a year later started an illegal dumping hot line — a one-stop phone number to report dumping of any kind anywhere on the island. The information reported to the line is sent to the appropriate state or city agency, which then sends out crews to clean up the mess. The line can also take information for possible prosecution of dumpers.

Since the hot line was set up, it's received about 1,227 reports of illegal dumping.

Owens said the hot line means residents no longer have to guess which city or state department they should call when reporting illegal dumping.

The hot line has also allowed the city to identify chronic dumping sites. Last year the city hired a security guard for about three months to watch those areas. The tactic didn't work, though. The illegal dumpers avoided areas that were being watched, officials said.

A Kailua nonprofit had similar results when it hired an off-duty police officer in 2003, to watch Kapa'a Quarry Road, which leads to a city transfer station.

Some officials thought curbside bulky trash pickup, which was taken islandwide in phases starting in August 2005, would drastically reduce illegal dumping. But though some residents say bulky trash pickup has curtailed dumping in some communities, it has worsened the situation in others. In some areas, they say, the islandwide pickup has spurred people to dump their trash anywhere on the roadside.

Palolo has been an increasing target for dumpers, residents say.

One of those dumping grounds is in front of the Bahai Faith Center on 10th Avenue. On a recent afternoon, there were two mattresses, a broken chair and other household items at the site.

Residents say the city picks up the items, but before long the area is full of trash again.

"There is no easy answer," said Rachel Orange, chairwoman of the Palolo Neighborhood Board.

TRASH IN WILDERNESS

Even remote areas aren't immune from illegal dumping. The state Department of Land and Natural Resources regularly responds to reports of dumped appliances and cars on its largely vacant properties in rural parts of the state. Last year, two cars were dumped at Ka'ena Point.

And every year, DLNR flies a helicopter to Na Pali Coast State Park on Kaua'i to pick up bags and bags of trash — some dumped by squatters, some left behind by hikers.

"I can pretty much assure you it's not a problem that's going away," said state DLNR spokeswoman Deborah Ward.

Steven Chang, chief of the solid and hazardous waste branch at the Department of Health, said empty properties are often targets for dumpers.

Worse, the owner of the property is responsible for cleaning up the mess, even if they didn't make it and can't track down who did.

Chang's department handles illegal dumping sites larger than one cubic yard, and responded to 250 complaints last year. From January to June, some 95 complaints have been made to the department.

Chang said the illegally dumped trash appears to be coming from a variety of sources — small contractors trying to duck disposal fees, homeowners who didn't make it to a transfer station before closing, and others who are just looking for an easy way to get rid of their junk.

And, he said, dumping sites grow quickly.

"Someone will put a tire there," he said, "and then the next thing you know there will be 15 tires."