The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) has awarded $1 million in grants designed to help clear communities of illegally dumped materials. The Sacramento-based agency says 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.”
Says CalRecycle Director Scott Smithline, “In addition to the obvious public health and economic impacts, illegal dumping degrades the quality of life in affected communities. 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.”
In the largest of the three grants announced in March, the city of Los Angeles will receive $500,000 to support “a focused program to remove illegally dumped material in designated neighborhoods in South Los Angeles and North Central Los Angeles,” according to CalRecycle.
The city of Norwalk, also in Los Angeles County, will receive a grant of more than $335,000 to support cleanups of illegally dumped waste associated with homeless encampments at two city parks and along the recreational area and bike trail adjacent to the San Gabriel River bed.
A grant of more than $160,000 will help the city of Oakland’s government develop a ”Rapid Response Crew” to clear illegal dumping on city-owned and managed properties. Funds also will also go toward the expansion of the city’s bulky item pickup program for multi-family dwellings.