On Sunday, March 2, 2003, Jeremy announced his curbside waste recycling plan for Oahu. Cheering on the mayor's effort was Jeff Mikulina, director of the Sierra Club Hawaii Chapter. Ironically, before the week was out, Carroll Cox, president of EnviroWatch had discovered massive illegal dumping by the city. Nearly 100 tons of washers, dryers, water heaters and stoves had been crushed and illegally buried at a city base yard in Waipahu. "This is really embarrassing," said Mikulina, after learning of the illegal dumping.

The state Health Department and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency were called in and the city was forced to dig up the wastes and dispose of it properly at a cost to taxpayers of $84,000. An investigation by the State Department of Health concluded that the city was responsible for the illegal dumping and imposed a $542,459 fine. After almost two years of foot-dragging, the fine had not been paid by the time Harris' term as mayor expired, January 2, 2005. Payment of the fine was conveniently left to the next mayor. Honolulu Weekly cartoon 3-26-2003