A community clean-up event is scheduled Saturday in Mecca.
Volunteers will be working from 7 a.m. to noon along Avenue 64 between Date Palm and Johnson streets.
Riverside County Supervisor Manuel Perez said he organized the effort after he was sent photos and videos showing dumping in the eastern Coachella Valley and elsewhere in the region.
“Unfortunately, illegal dumping has been an ongoing issue for a long time in our unincorporated communities and it’s a hazard that’s getting worse,” said Perez, who represents much of eastern Riverside County.
County officials will be providing tools, including gloves and safety vests. Water will also be available due to the scorching temperatures slated across the region this weekend.
Volunteers should wear closed-toe shoes and sunblock.
From December through this month, the Riverside County Department of Waste Resources has removed illegally dumped trash from 328 locations in eastern Riverside County, totaling 433 tons, officials said.
Residents of Thermal, Oasis, Mecca and Vista Santa Rosa can drop off their bulky waste on Saturdays at a county-run site from 8 a.m. to noon at Highway 111 and Avenue 63.
Volunteers can register for the clean-up by emailing ESPerez@rivco.org or by calling Perez’s office at 760-863-8211.