West Covina : Anti-Bird Noise Guns OKd

Sea gulls flocking to the BKK Landfill may be greeted by sanitation workers armed with pistols that shoot firework-like projectiles designed to scare away the birds with a shrill sound.

Last week the City Council approved BKK’s request to use the guns, which are not designed to shoot bullets. The projectiles are to be shot close enough to startle the birds, not to hit them. The noise is expected to discourage the gulls from feasting on exposed trash during the day.

In the past the landfill has used several methods--including bird netting and regular blasts from devices that release compressed air--to discourage the birds from landing on garbage. Sea gulls are known to spread disease.

Steve Samaniego, the city’s Waste Management Enforcement officer, said gulls have recently found ways to pick at the trash despite the nets and air blasts. He said the special anti-bird guns will be restricted to designated and qualified landfill employees, who will use them mostly during the next few months, as the sea gulls complete their migration through the area.