City seeks damages to cover the $200,000 it spent cleaning up the illegally-dumped material
SAN FRANCISCO (April 26, 2022) — City Attorney David Chiu announced today that he filed a lawsuit against Tip Top Trucking, LLC, Neeve Engineering, Inc, and Neeve’s principal, Joseph Lawrence, for illegally dumping several tons of material on Treasure Island. The City spent $200,000 removing and cleaning the material dumped at the site and is seeking damages and penalties for the costs incurred.
“Thousands of San Franciscans live on Treasure Island—it is not a dumping ground,” said City Attorney Chiu. “We are seeking to cover the costs of removing and testing the illegally disposed material, ensuring the City is made whole.”
In May 2019, a Treasure Island Development Authority (TIDA) contractor witnessed a Tip Top Trucking employee illegally dumping soil and material on City property near Avenue I and 5th Street on Treasure Island. After a follow up investigation by TIDA, Tip Top Trucking revealed they had been hired by and illegally disposed of the material at the direction of Neeve Engineering and its principal, Joey Lawrence. None of the defendants had permission from the City to engage in this activity.
The soil that was illegally dumped amounted to several tons of material that the City removed from the site and had tested for hazardous substances as required by state environmental laws. Overall, the City incurred approximately $200,000 in cleanup costs as a result of the illegal dumping. It is suspected that defendants had previously dumped materials at this same site.
The lawsuit alleges the defendants violated California’s Unfair Competition Law by violating the City’s illegal dumping ordinance, creating a public nuisance, and trespassing on City property. The City is seeking injunctive relief, damages for the cost of cleanup, and penalties.
The case is City and County of San Francisco v. Tip Top Trucking, LLC. The complaint can be found here.
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