To prove they’re already under diesel siege, a group of Almaden Valley residents recently counted the number of garbage trucks that rumble their way to a dump on Guadalupe Mines Road.

By their count, an average of 451 trucks hauled garbage from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily over a six-day period that began June 22.

That’s only going to get worse once the caravan of trucks also start bringing in garbage from Milpitas, according to the group, which calls itself Save Almaden.

The count was prompted by a 20-year contract Waste Management Inc. won from Milpitas to dispose of the city’s garbage at the company’s Guadalupe Recycling and Disposal Facility.

Waste Management plans to haul 22 to 37 truckloads of waste each weekday to the landfill, starting in September 2017.

More than 6,000 San Jose residents–many of them worried about environmental damage, increased traffic congestion, lower property values and unpleasant odors–have signed an online petition opposing the arrangement between Waste Management and Milpitas.

And it’s not just the sheer number of trucks delivering garbage that bothers some residents.

Save Almaden member Joanie Santos said in an interview that although the landfill’s operating permit allows contracted trucks to arrive as early as 6 a.m., they often come earlier.

“They sit there and wait for the gates to open,” Santos said. “They do come and sit and idle as early as 4 a.m.”

The diesel fumes also bother neighbors awakened by the trucks’ running engines, Santos said.

And although all garbage is supposed to be weighed when it reaches the landfill, neighbors have been told operators have no idea how much garbage is disposed.

“We ask these questions of the city and the landfill and we get, ‘We don’t know,’ ” Santos said. “Well, how can you not know when you have to weigh the trucks? They have to weigh every single truck and know and respect those limits, so they know, they have records. They know it, but when you ask them how many trucks are coming into the landfill they say, ‘We don’t know.’ So we sat out there and counted so we would have our own numbers.”

Santos said a private meeting attended by approximately 50 people was hosted by a resident near the landfill in early July, and a district and a regional manager from Waste Management–which catered a barbecue dinner for the group that evening–were invited.

“They sort of accepted our numbers; they didn’t really react,” Santos said. “Most of the responses in that barbecue meeting were that they were going to have to speak to upper management.”

The large trucks that travel down narrow Guadalupe Mines Road intimidate neighbors out for a walk and make it difficult for some with driveways facing the road to back their vehicles out, Santos added. Residents would like to see stop signs installed to slow traffic, she said, noting that a blinking sign warning drivers about speeding has helped.

Though neighbors are frustrated, Santos said so far they appreciate Waste Management’s responsiveness.

“They’ve done things like they’re running the magnet over the road every day,” she added. “It picks up nails that get in tires. There are little things they’ve been able to do initially that came out of the meeting.”

Save Almaden also recorded decibel levels, but those results are still being analyzed.

Waste Management spokesman Paul Rosynsky said in a written statement that the company is “committed to being a good neighbor and has worked diligently to address the concerns some residents have raised.”

“We have met with residents several times and maintain an open door policy, inviting neighbors to contact us to discuss our operations,” he added. “Like we do at all our landfills, we continually remind customers to obey local traffic laws, including requirements to cover cargo loads.”