Yurok Reservation and Klamath River to be Cleaned Up: Waste Board approves $800,000 in grants for waste removal projects

SACRAMENTO--The California Integrated Waste Management Board awarded $800,000 in grants for the cleanup and removal of illegal waste dumped sites inside the Yurok Reservation and along the Klamath River.

"Illegal dumping is one of the many environmental threats to the Klamath River and its fishery" said Board Member Wesley Chesbro. "This cleanup grant, and our historic partnership with Yurok tribal leaders, and with local, state, and federal agencies, will help us to protect the critically important fishery of the Klamath."

Today's approved allocation of $800,000 will support the cleanup of three illegal dump sites that pose a risk to the health and safety of residents and wildlife in Humboldt County and the environment along the Klamath River.

The Yuroks are California's largest Indian tribe, with nearly 5,000 enrolled members. The tribe lacks the tax base and economic development to pay for the cleanup projects. Poverty rates average 80 percent on the reservation; more than 70 percent of the tribal lands have no access to basic telephone or electric services.

The three illegal dump sites targeted for cleanup pose significant challenges because of their remote location. Debris at one of the sites will have to be flown out by helicopter. Debris at that site has been dumped from along State Highway 169, down a 400- to 500-foot cliff and onto a gravel bank along the Klamath River. During high river flows the debris can be carried to the Pacific Ocean.

The grants awarded today come from the Waste Board's Solid Waste Disposal and Codisposal Grant Program, which funds the cleanup of sites when a responsible party cannot be identified or is unable or unwilling to pay cleanup costs. The grants accelerate timely cleanup of dump sites that pose a risk to public health or the environment.

The California Integrated Waste Management Board is the state's leading authority on recycling and waste reduction. It promotes reducing waste whenever possible, managing all materials to their highest and best use and protecting public health and safety and the environment.

The California Integrated Waste Management Board is one of six boards, departments, and offices within the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA).

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