Office of Public Affairs
For Immediate Release: March 25, 2019
News Release #2019-09
Media Contact: Lance Klug
CalRecycle Awards $1 Million to Help Restore California Neighborhoods
SACRAMENTO–The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery just awarded $1 million in grants to help clear communities of illegally dumped materials. The CalRecycle funding will help the cities of Los Angeles, Norwalk, and Oakland improve the health and well-being of their residents by accelerating the cleanup of solid waste including abandoned furniture, tires, shopping carts, and other materials.
“In addition to the obvious public health and economic impacts, illegal dumping degrades the quality of life in affected communities,” CalRecycle Director Scott Smithline said. “Every Californian deserves a safe and healthy environment in which to work, live, and play. These cleanup projects help bring California closer to that ideal.”
CalRecycle’s Illegal Disposal Site Abatement Grant Program reimburses local agencies up to $500,000 for the abatement of illegal disposal sites that pose a threat to public health and the environment. This grant cycle, all three of the awards went to projects that help restore neighborhoods in disadvantaged and vulnerable communities in California as identified by CalEnviroscreen.
| Applicant | Project Description | Total Award |
|---|---|---|
| City of Los Angeles | Funds will support a focused program to remove illegally dumped material in designated neighborhoods in South Los Angeles and North Central Los Angeles. The waste sweeps are accompanied by public outreach efforts through local schools, community events, and beautification projects. | $500,000 |
| City of Norwalk | Funds will support cleanups of illegally dumped waste associated with homeless encampments at two city parks and the recreational area/bike trail along the San Gabriel Riverbed. The cleanups will be followed by increased code enforcement and other illegal dumping prevention efforts. | $336,413 |
| City of Oakland | Funds will support the development of a ”Rapid Response Crew” to clear illegal dumping on city owned and managed properties in economically disadvantaged communities. Funds will also go toward the expansion of the city’s bulky item pickup program for multi-family dwellings. | $163,587 |
| $1,000,000 | ||
Illegal Disposal Site Abatement grants are available as part of CalRecycle’s Solid Waste Disposal and Codisposal Site Cleanup Program. Created in 1994, the program allows CalRecycle to expend funds directly for cleanup or emergency actions, provide loans to responsible parties who demonstrate the ability to repay state funds, or provide matching grants to local governments to help remediate environmental problems at landfills.
Get automatic updates on new grant cycles, awards, and funding availability by subscribing to CalRecycle’s Solid Waste and Codisposal Site Cleanup Program listserv.
What is CalEnviroScreen? The California Communities Environmental Health Screening Tool (CalEnviroScreen 3.0) was developed to help implement a variety of state programs aimed at reducing pollution and providing a healthier environment in California’s most disadvantaged communities. The tool ranks each of the state’s 8,000 census tracts using data on 20 indicators of pollution, environmental quality, and socioeconomic and public health conditions. CalRecycle’s Illegal Disposal Site Abatement Grant Program scoring criteria includes points for projects located within disadvantaged communities as calculated using CalEnviroScreen 3.0. Learn more about the environmental health screening tool with these Frequently Asked Questions and CalRecycle’s Environmental Justice page.
For more information contact, the Office of Public Affairs, opa@calrecycle.ca.gov
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CalRecycle's mission is to protect California's environment and climate for the health and prosperity of future generations through the reduction, reuse and recycling of California resources, environmental education, disaster recovery, and the transition from a disposable to a fully circular economy.