Waste Board Grants $190,000 to Clean Up Sites Around State: Funds will rectify years of illegal dumping at four rural locations

SACRAMENTO--The California Integrated Waste Management Board approved nearly $200,000 in grants to four areas in Northern and Central California to clean up debris illegally dumped on public and private lands.

"The Board is committed to protecting the health and safety of the public, lands and the animal species that are dramatically affected by years of illegal dumping," said Board Chair Margo Reid Brown. "These grants assist rural communities that are most affected by illegal dumping. It is the first step in returning these communities to pristine beauty and the environment’s health."

The four sites awarded cleanup grants today include:

San Joaquin County will use $130,531 to clean up more than 1,700 cubic yards of cement, other construction and demolition debris, household waste, electronic waste, and automotive debris along a road on six privately owned parcels in Stockton. The road runs between the San Joaquin River and prime agricultural property used for crop production and 50 acres of wetland habitat. This area has been the focus of illegal dumping and transient activity for decades.

Sutter County Resource Conservation District will receive $36,449 to clear three orchard sites that have used for the illegal dumping of household waste, appliances, tires, automotive, electronic waste, and construction debris. The grant pays to clean up the trash on two sites and install fences, gates, and signs on all three sites to prevent future dumping.

Western Shasta Resource Conservation District will receive $14,166 to remove and clean up more than 500 tires and illegally dumped equipment on a 1,900-acre privately owned parcel used to graze cattle. This site is located within the floodplain of Cottonwood Creek, which is a migratory Chinook salmon fishery. The site is on private property and secured by fencing and a locked gate so there is little likelihood of future dumping.

Yolo County Resource Conservation District receives $9,610 to clean up and dispose of scrap metal, appliances, tires, and construction debris that pose a threat to grazing cattle. The land is owned by nonprofit Audubon California Landowner Stewardship Program and is used by the Audubon program and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service for public benefit projects. The property is fenced and gated and the possibility of future dumping is negligible.

Senate Bill 1330 (Lockyer, Statutes of 1997, Chapter 875) requires the Board to establish a grant program under which cities and counties may seek financial assistance for cleanup of illegal solid waste disposal sites on farm or ranch property.

Visit CIWMB's website for more information on this program or the CIWMB.

The grants awarded today come from the Waste Board's the Farm and Ranch Solid Waste Cleanup and Abatement 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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