The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) awarded $6.6 million in grants to local governments and entities to safely manage and encourage the reuse of California’s waste tires. CalRecycle also awarded $436,718 in grants to help fund the cleanup of 48 illegal dumpsites across the state.

CalRecycle estimates 42 million used and waste tires are generated in California each year.

“This money makes a real difference in communities across California, where illegally dumped or improperly stored waste tires can pose significant threats to public health and our environment,” CalRecycle Director Scott Smithline said in a statement. “By supporting the safe collection, management, and reuse of this material, California continues to show how its core values of environmental protection, public safety, and economic vitality go hand-in-hand.”

CalRecycle’s Tire-Derived Aggregate Grant Program is designed to promote the use of recycled waste tires in place of conventional construction material for applications such as retaining wall backfill, landslide stabilization, and various landfill uses. Shredded waste tires are ideal for such uses because they are permeable and durable. CalRecycle awarded three local jurisdictions a total of $187,100 in funding for projects that include roadside drainage, storm water capture systems, and retaining wall fill.

CalRecycle’s Local Government Waste Tire Enforcement Grant Program ensures cities and counties have sufficient funding to enforce compliance with rules regarding waste and used tires, including safe hauling and storage. Typical expenditures include costs related to inspection of tire storage facilities and enforcement activities to prevent illegal dumping. Funds may also be used for surveillance activities, cleanup of small waste tire piles, equipment and employee training. CalRecycle awarded 38 local jurisdictions a total of $6,477,147 in funding from this non-competitive grant program, as listed below.

Meanwhile, CalRecycle’s Farm and Ranch Solid Waste Cleanup and Abatement Grant Program distributes up to $1 million annually to clean up or abate the effects of illegally disposed waste on farm and ranch property in California. Funds can also go toward security measures to prevent future dumping.

“Illegal dumping is more than just a nuisance. These waste materials pollute valuable land that could otherwise be used to support California’s agricultural economy, protect our wildlife, and preserve our fragile ecosystems,” Smithline said in a statement. “We know clearing these illegal dumpsites can help prevent future dumping and help return these properties to productive use.”

Cleanup of illegal marijuana growing sites account for half of the remediation projects funded in this grant cycle at a total cost of $251,800.

Under the Farm and Ranch Cleanup program, cities, counties, federally recognized Native American tribes, and resource conservation districts may apply for up to $200,000 per fiscal year but no more than $50,000 per site.