Background
The Illegal Dumping Technical Advisory Committee (IDTAC) provides ongoing expertise for CalRecycle and the state of California, is comprised of voluntary members, and is not required to function under the statutory requirements of a legislative or department-created committee. Started as a Task Force in 2006, the group evolved into today’s technical advisory committee and relative subcommittees given the long-term problems associated with illegal dumping. The IDTAC continues to assess the extent and cost of the illegal dumping, while sharing their findings, best practices, and strategies in the Illegal Dumping Resources Toolbox.
2020 Work Plan
The IDTAC identified the need to update its original work plan. The 2020 Work Plan entails developing fresh resources and tools for jurisdictions, communities, contractors, and others to assist in addressing current illegal dumping issues.
Focused Topics have included Homeless Encampments and Abandoned Vehicles.
Subcommittees
Subcommittees are comprised of IDTAC members and interested persons who assist the IDTAC on specific illegal dumping issues. Updates on subcommittee activities are provided during IDTAC meetings. To get involved in a subcommittee, please contact the subcommittee chair (see contact info in Committee Member table below) or IllegalDumping@calrecycle.ca.gov.
Get Involved
Attend quarterly meetings (listed below), join a subcommittee, share illegal dumping concerns and content via email or at meetings, contribute to the Illegal Dumping Toolbox, subscribe to the Illegal Dumping Listserv, become an IDTAC member, and/or email IllegalDumping@calrecycle.ca.gov to start the conversation of how to get involved.
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Strategy Subcommittee (Chair: Tedd Ward)
Develop strategies for:
- Guidance for creating and facilitating local and regional partnerships with public agencies, private entities, and/or non-profits
- Measures for establishing and maintaining cleanup programs
- Identifying available funding resources
- Development of benchmarks or methods to gauge program effectiveness
- Addressing and incorporating environmental justice into programs
Outreach Subcommittee (Chair: Rebecca Richardson)
Develop concepts for:
- Education and outreach methods for preventing illegal dumping, including measures to facilitate community involvement including reward programs
- Property owners to address illegal dumping on their property
- Effective tools for discouraging future incidents
- Applications to report illegal dumping activities
- Effective news and social media outreach and involvement to publicize illegal dumping convictions including case studies
Standards Subcommittee (Chair: Larry Sweetser)
Develop standards related to:
- Cleanups of illegal dumping sites
- Identify levels for training personnel involved in cleanups
- Develop consistent data collection criteria
- Identify guidance for reporting and tracking cleanup costs
- Updating homeless encampments cleanup guidance
- Health and safety measures
Enforcement Program Subcommittee (Co-Chairs: Gonzalo Barriga & Vacant)
Develop methods for creating effective enforcement tools including:
- Available federal, state, local solid waste codes, ordinances, administrative orders, and other measures available as enforcement tools
- Case studies on effective enforcement and deterrents to illegal dumping
- Guidance on developing local Illegal Dumping Enforcement Officers and enforcement teams
- Measures that can hinder implementation of enforcement programs and potential prosecution
- Examples of how to document evidence successfully.
- Information on effective surveillance systems
Group addresses general enforcement (program) inquires since many members detail enforcement strategies through other respective organizations. Group promotes training opportunities for the enforcement community and oversees the Toolbox Enforcement webpage.
Quick Links
- Illegal Dumping Listserv – Sign up for updates and meeting announcements
- Meeting Agendas, Notes (current/past)
- Illegal Dumping Toolbox
- IDTAC Google Drive – Meeting notes, agendas, presentations and other documents (not maintained by CalRecycle)
- Technical Advisory Committee’s 2020 Work Plan
- CalRecycle GeoMap: Find local resources for reporting illegal dumping
IDTAC Meetings
Upcoming Technical Advisory Committee Meetings
- March 12, 2025, 12:30-3:30 p.m. PST (Add-to-calendar)
Sign up for Illegal Dumping Email Updates to receive meeting notifications and resources – archive messages stream. IllegalDumping@calrecycle.ca.gov for additions, questions. Meetings are virtual unless otherwise specified.
Past Technical Advisory Committee Meetings
- 2024:
- December 4 (Agenda, Notes) – San Benito’s Illegal Dumping Journey, Collaboration Conversation Recording
- September 11 (Agenda, Notes) – City of Richmond Presentation Recording
- June 5 (Agenda, Notes) – RV Presentations Recording (BeautifySJ RV Bio-waste Pollution Prevention Program, City of Los Angeles / LASAN Dwelling Response Programs)
- February 21 (Agenda, Notes)
- 2023:
- 2022:
- 2021:
- 2020:
- 2019:
- November 6 San Jose, CA (Agenda, Minutes)
- May 22 San Diego, CA (Agenda, Minutes)
- 2018:
- December 4–in conjunction with the CalRecycle Technical Training Series (Agenda, Minutes)
- April 19 (Agenda & Minutes)
- 2017:
- 2016:
- November 16 (Agenda, Minutes)
- June 6 (Agenda & Minutes)
- 2015:
- September 16 (Agenda & Minutes)
- February 25 (Agenda & Minutes)
- 2014:
- March 19 (Agenda & Minutes)
- 2013:
- November 13 (Agenda & Minutes)
- June 20 (Agenda & Minutes)
- 2012:
- November 27 (Agenda & Minutes)
- May 23 (Agenda, Minutes, Member Roster)
- 2011:
- December 14 (Agenda & Minutes)
- May 6 (Agenda & Minutes)
- Earlier meetings: Oct 2008, Oct 2007, Sept 2006, May 2006, March 2006
Technical Advisory Committee Members
For a list of past advisory committee/task force members and committee history, please see Illegal Dumping Task Force and Technical Advisory Committee History.
| Committee Member | Affiliation | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Larry Sweetser (Chair) | Environmental Services Joint Powers Authority | sweetser@hazman.us |
| Gonzalo Barriga (Vice Chair) | Metropolitan Water District of Southern California | gbarriga@mwdh2o.com |
| Erin Armstrong, representing Supervisor Nate Miley | Alameda County/ Illegal Dumping Task Force California State Association of Counties | Erin.Armstrong@acgov.org |
| Anayeli Rangel, Cameron Powers | California Association of Code Enforcement Officers (CACEO) | arangelcastaneda@rivco.org cameron.powers@sdcounty.ca.gov |
| Jeff Lamoure, Jason Phillippe | California Conference of Directors of Environmental Health (CCDEH) | jefflamoure@co.imperial.ca.us jphillippe@placer.ca.gov |
| Sara Weaver | California Conservation Corps Region III | sara.weaver@ccc.ca.gov |
| Mark Azzouni, Benjamin Schiesser | California Hazardous Materials Investigators Association (CHMIA) | president@chmia.com, bay.area.director@chmia.com |
| Doug Kobold, Nate Pelczar | California Product Stewardship Council (CPSC) | doug@calpsc.org nate@calpsc.org |
| Nick Lapis | Californians Against Waste | nicklapis@cawrecycles.org |
| Mark De Bie | CalRecycle | mark.debie@calrecycle.ca.gov |
| Ryan Farrer/Vincent Eesguerra, Choa Vang, Audrey Milligan-Perrish, Walter Yu | Caltrans • Litter Abatement, Graffiti & Carcass Disposal • Homelessness/Encampments, Research & Innovation • Adopt-a-Highway • Clean California Program Director | MTCE.Litter.Abatement@dot.ca.gov Ryan.farrer@dot.ca.gov Vincent.esguerra@dot.ca.gov Choa.Vang@dot.ca.gov Audrey.Milligan-Parrish@dot.ca.gov Walter.Yu@dot.ca.gov |
| Carlos Duque | City of Elk Grove Public Works, Recycling and Waste | cduque@elkgrovecity.org |
| Gary Harris | City of Los Angeles Bureau of Street Services, Investigation and Enforcement Division | gary.harris@lacity.org |
| Avneet Mahil | City of Manteca, Solid Waste Association of North America | amahil@ci.manteca.ca.us |
| Eva Mann | City of Richmond Code Enforcement | eva_mann@ci.richmond.ca.us |
| Olympia Williams | City of San Jose BeautifySJ Initiative | olympia.williams@sanjoseca.gov |
| Tom Mattson | County Engineers Association of California (CEAC) | tmattson@co.humboldt.ca.us |
| Tedd Ward | Del Norte Solid Waste Management Authority | tedd@recycledelnorte.ca.gov |
| Pending | District Attorney(s) | |
| Christine Flowers/Cecile Carson | Keep California Beautiful | cflowers@csus.edu carson@cdcarson.com |
| Pending | League of California Cities | |
| Justine Fallon/Taylor Grimes | Mattress Recycling Council | jfallon@mattressrecyclingcouncil.org tgrimes@mattressrecyclingcouncil.org |
| Maria Ferdin | Monterey Illegal Dumping & Litter Task Force | Ferdinme@co.monterey.ca.us |
| Heidi Sanborn, Jordan Wells | National Stewardship Action Council (NSAC) | heidi@nsaction.us jordan@nsaction.us |
| Public Member Representative | ||
| Garen Kazanjian | Recology | GKazanjian@recology.com |
| Veronica Pardo | Resource Recovery Coalition of California | veronica@resourcecoalition.org |
| Pending | Sacramento County | |
| Rob Hutsel | San Diego River Park Foundation | rhutsel@sandiegoriver.org |
| Jaron Brandon Supervisor | Tuolumne County | jbrandon@co.tuolumne.ca.us |
Resources
For more information contact: Illegal Dumping, IllegalDumping@calrecycle.ca.gov