State Sen. Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, announced Thursday his bill looking to crack down on illegal dumping has passed the Assembly Committee on Public Safety.
Senate Bill 409, co-authored by senators Jim Nielson, R-Tehama; Anthony Portantino, D-La Cañada Flintridge; and Assemblyman Tom Lackey, R-Palmdale, would require that property owners obtain state and local permits prior to allowing dumping on their property.
“Current statute concerning unlawful dumping addresses situations in which property owners do not consent to dumping on their property,” said Wilk. “However, a loophole exists as the statute does not address situations in which landowners do provide consent for dumping, however, without obtaining required local permits.”
The bill would also increase the fines for disposing waste in non-commercial quantities and criminalize the transportation of waste and other specified materials for the purpose of dumping. The fines would range from $500 to $4,000. Current law places fines at no less than $250 nor more than $3,000.
“A healthy and prosperous community starts with each and every one of us,” said Wilk in a prepared statement. “Holding land owners accountable for the potentially dangerous impact of unlawful dumping of hazardous waste is not restrictive, it’s protective. We owe it to ourselves, our children, and our planet to deal with our waste wisely and protect the beauty of the land we inhabit.”
Between January of 2017 and March 2019, 89 Antelope Valley properties had a Notice of Building Code Violation recorded by the Department of Public Works. Each of these properties had dumping of waste exceeding 50 cubic yards, according to Wilk’s Office in a news release Thursday.
Wilk’s illegal dumping bill moves receives committee approvalSB 409 now heads to the Senate Appropriations Committee, where it will be assessed for its fiscal costs to the state and localities.
