L.A. County seeks stricter ordinances to combat illegal compostable dumping

The county Board of Supervisors is calling Wednesday for the creation of local ordinances to regulate illegal dumping of mulch and other compostable materials.

Supervisor Kathryn Barger contended in her motion presented Tuesday that open spaces and smaller populations in Antelope Valley create a fertile ground for illegal dumping, which poses health risks to locals, and similar issues exist in other marginalized communities. She noted that the waste materials can lead to water and soil contamination, and cause wildfires.

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The county's supplemental fiscal budget for 2024-25 approved on Tuesday allotted $2 million to combat illegal dumping activities.

"I applaud the $2 million allocated to curb illegal dumping, which will go a long way to help Antelope Valley communities," said Barger in a statement.

"North County residents in particular are suffering from this pollution which has reached crisis proportions and deserve environmental justice. This illegal activity must be stopped in its tracks."

Barger's motion calling for ordinances to regulate dumping noted that millions are spent each year by the Los Angeles County Fire Department in responding to trash-related fires in the Antelope Valley.

The Antelope Valley Illegal Dumping Task Force was established in 1996, but the motion said additional resources and regulations are needed to meet the scale and complexity of the growing problem.

Some possible recommendations included technological innovation to enhance enforcement efforts, including deployment of cameras, license plate readers, and monitoring technology in dumping hotspots.

Although state laws criminalizing the disposal of waste and other materials specifically list the dumping of commercial quantities of rocks, asphalt, or dirt as a misdemeanor, a loophole allows for a property owner's consent to excuse a hauler's liability, according to the motion.

"Despite California's recognition of environmental justice principles to ensure that communities receive equal protection, the ongoing challenges in the Antelope Valley are causing environmental inequities," the motion states.

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