Where Does Your Junk Go After Pickup in Tuolumne County?
In Tuolumne County, household junk goes to the Cal Sierra Transfer Station at 19309 Industrial Drive in East Sonora, metal goes to recycling, and green waste goes to a green waste site instead of the landfill. It also matters who hauls it. Under county code, junk that is dumped illegally can be traced back to the household it came from, and the owner can be held responsible.
The short version
| What it is | Where it goes in Tuolumne County |
|---|---|
| Household junk and furniture | Cal Sierra Transfer Station, 19309 Industrial Drive, East Sonora |
| Green waste: brush, limbs, needles, leaves | A green waste site, such as Cal Sierra's Earth Resource Facility on Camage Avenue |
| Concrete, brick and rock | The Earth Resource Facility, as inert material |
| Metal | Recycling |
| Fridges, freezers, air conditioners | Declared at the transfer station, which charges a Freon removal fee |
| Mattresses | Cal Sierra for a fee, or free at Groveland and the county's monthly Jamestown event |
| TVs and electronics | Cal Sierra or Groveland, or the county's monthly Jamestown event |
| Paint, chemicals, fuel | Not in a junk load. See what stays out of a junk load |
The Cal Sierra Transfer Station
Most household loads in the Sonora area end at the Cal Sierra Transfer Station, 19309 Industrial Drive in East Sonora. It is a state-permitted transfer station run by WM (Waste Management), and it is open to the public seven days a week, 8 AM to 4 PM, closed on Christmas and New Year's Day. Loads that need to be weighed have to be in line by 3:40 PM.
Cal Sierra does not publish its gate rates. The county's advice is to call the station for current prices at (209) 536-1719. That is one reason we quote one flat price with dump fees included: you never have to guess what the scale will say.
Do not confuse it with 14959 Camage Avenue, which is the Cal Sierra Disposal (WM) office, not the dump.
Green waste, concrete and rock
Green waste does not go in the landfill. In Tuolumne County it goes to green waste sites:
- Cal Sierra Earth Resource Facility, Camage Avenue, Sonora. Tuesday to Saturday, 8 AM to 3:30 PM, closed 11:45 to 12:30. It takes limbs, pine needles and green waste, logs and rounds up to 12 inches, and inert material like brick, concrete and rock, all for a fee. It does not take treated or painted wood, concrete with rebar, concrete pieces over 18 inches, asphalt or stumps.
- Wise Wood Works Plainview site, top of the Twain Harte Grade on Highway 108. Brush, leaves, pine needles, trees and untreated lumber, for a fee, Tuesday to Saturday, weather permitting.
This is also why brush piles and household junk are often priced separately: they go to different places.
Fridges, mattresses and electronics
Some items are declared at the scale house and carry their own fees:
- Fridges, freezers and air conditioners carry a Freon removal fee at the transfer station. In California only a certified appliance recycler or a certified refrigerant technician may remove refrigerant, so a junk hauler delivers the appliance and the facility handles it.
- Mattresses cost a fee at Cal Sierra. The Groveland Transfer Station takes them at no charge, and so does the county's monthly event in Jamestown.
- TVs, computers and other electronics are universal waste in California and cannot go in the trash. Cal Sierra and Groveland take them, and the county says there may be a gate fee.
Why it matters who hauls your junk
When a pile leaves your driveway, it is easy to assume it is no longer your problem. Under Tuolumne County's illegal dumping code, that is not always true.
- The owner is responsible for lawful disposal. County Code 7.30.020 makes it a violation for a person to fail "to arrange for the lawful disposal of solid waste generated on premises which that person owns, occupies or is the person responsible for."
- Your junk can be traced back to you. Under 7.30.030, two pieces of addressed mail found in a dumped pile create a presumption that the person they are addressed to is responsible for it.
- Fines double when someone was paid. County fines for illegal dumping start at $1,000, and they double when "payment has been made to an individual in connection with the illegal dumping."
- State law adds its own penalties. California Penal Code 374.3 makes it unlawful to dump or cause waste to be dumped, with fines starting at $250 and rising to misdemeanor penalties for a cubic yard or more.
The code does not spell out how it treats a homeowner who hired someone in good faith, but it is written broadly, so it is worth knowing where your junk is going. Another California county, Sacramento, gives simple advice: get a receipt, and write down the hauler's license plate.
How we handle a load
Everything we haul is sorted to where it belongs. Household loads from junk hauling go to the Cal Sierra Transfer Station, green waste from yard waste removal goes to a green waste site, and metal goes to recycling. Nothing is dumped on a back road or a forest turnout. If you want to know where your load went, ask.
We do not haul hazardous waste, and when we find it on a job we set it aside and tell you where it goes. Our guide to what stays out of a junk load has the full list.
How to report illegal dumping in Tuolumne County
- On a county road: Tuolumne County Solid Waste Division, (209) 533-5588
- On private property: the county's illegal dumping line, (209) 533-5577
- Online: the county's Don't Trash Tuolumne report form, with a photo if you can
Sources
- Tuolumne County: self-haul transfer stations, green waste and slash, mattresses, illegal disposal, Chapter 7.30, Illegal Dumping
- WM: Cal Sierra Transfer Station listing
- California: Penal Code 374.3, DTSC certified appliance recyclers and universal waste
- Sacramento County: hire a licensed hauler
Have a pile that needs to go?
Call (209) 213-1324 or send the form with a few photos. We call back, usually within the hour, with one flat price, dump fees included.