CalRecycle awards grants to Lancaster to clear illegal dumping on two rural agricultural sites

SACRAMENTO--The city of Lancaster will use nearly $90,000 in state grant funds for two cleanup projects where illegal dumping has fouled rural agricultural land.

The Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) awarded the grants through its Farm and Ranch Solid Waste Cleanup and Abatement Grant Program, which pays for the removal of small illegal dump sites on rural lands where the property owner is not responsible for the illegal dumping.

“CalRecycle’s first priority is the health of our state’s people and environment, and we’re proud to be partnering with local communities to clean up rural lands and prevent further illegal dumping,” said CalRecycle Director Caroll Mortensen. “This grant program allows us to preserve the pristine undeveloped regions of our state, and protects our farms and people from the dangers of illegally dumped waste.”

Left unabated, illegal dumping poses health and fire risks. Trash that is allowed to accumulate also encourages more dumping, so rural communities depend on grant funding from CalRecycle when cleanup costs cannot otherwise be recovered.

The two sites that will be cleaned up through this grant are located in rural Lancaster. One was used in the past for livestock but is currently fallow; the other has an olive orchard. More than 3,500 cubic yards of waste, including asbestos tiles, appliances, household waste, electronic waste, and 1,200 old tires, have been dumped at the sites, posing a threat to public health and safety.

The landowner plans to erect barriers at the parcels after the cleanup to help prevent future illegal dumping. Grants of up to $50,000 per site are offered by CalRecycle through its Farm and Ranch Cleanup Program and are available to public entities or American Indian tribes to remove illegally disposed waste from farm or ranch property.

Funding for the cleanup program comes through tipping fees (currently $1.40 per ton) collected when non-hazardous waste is deposited at California landfills.

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CalRecycle is the state's leading authority on recycling, waste reduction, and product reuse. CalRecycle plays an important role in the stewardship of California's vast resources and promotes innovation in technology to encourage economic and environmental sustainability. For more information, visit www.calrecycle.ca.gov.