Local officials and residents in the Antelope Valley are sounding alarms about a troubling trend: a rise in illegal dumping attributed to California’s Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Strategy.
This legislation, which mandates the separation of food waste and organic materials from regular trash, aims to mitigate the harmful greenhouse gas emissions associated with landfills.
Signed into law in 2016, the initiative sets ambitious goals to divert escalating percentages of organic waste from landfills, aiming for a 50% diversion by 2020 and 75% by 2025.
While this law has reportedly made progress in many regions, its implementation in the Los Angeles area has proven challenging.
According to experts, the city and surrounding municipalities have lagged in establishing the necessary infrastructure to handle the increased organic waste processing demands.
Chuck Bostwick, a senior field deputy for Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, highlights the frustration among Antelope Valley residents, stating, “Illegal dumping has been a problem in the Antelope Valley for decades. But since these laws were passed, it’s gotten markedly worse.”
Bostwick elaborates that the new regulations have complicated the disposal process for organic waste, making it increasingly expensive and incentivizing waste haulers to opt for illegal dumping to sidestep costly composting procedures.
The resulting illegal dump sites are a blight on the landscape, with reports suggesting over 80 unauthorized dumping locations scattered throughout the region.
While some of these sites contain standard refuse, many are filled with unprocessed mulch and organic materials.
One particular site near El Mirage Dry Lake, visited recently, emitted a foul odor, and the ground was a mix of wood chips, rubber, and plastic debris.
This type of organic waste can pose serious ecological threats, introducing invasive species and potentially harmful materials into the fragile desert ecosystem.
In response to the growing issue, a group of residents in Antelope Valley filed a lawsuit against waste haulers like Athens Services and California Waste Services, alleging unauthorized dumping of hazardous substances, which the companies dispute.
Athens representatives argue that the law encourages utilizing compostable materials beneficially, asserting that they distribute such materials to farmers and other landowners legally.
CalRecycle, California’s waste agency, affirmed that landowners can legally accept compostable waste, provided it meets specific regulatory standards regarding contaminants and pile heights.
However, the legality of materials at numerous dump sites remains disputed, leading to concern from local environmental advocates such as Wesley Skelton, assistant land manager at the Portal Ridge Wildlife Preserve.
Skelton voiced concerns about the long-lasting impact these illegal dumping activities could inflict on the desert ecosystem, warning about the introduction of invasive plant species and the associated air quality deterioration.
“We put in a lot of effort to combat these plants— the Russian thistle and the mustard and all the different grasses and everything,” Skelton remarked, noting the strain invasive species put on local flora.
Despite the ongoing problems, Nick Lapis, director of Californians Against Waste, argues that illegal dumping in Antelope Valley is not a new phenomenon and predates the implementation of composting laws.
He emphasizes that the critical issue remains that state and local enforcement agencies must be proactive in curtailing illegal dumping activities.
Lapis advocates for more stringent requirements for jurisdictions to monitor waste throughout its lifecycle alongside establishing an effective enforcement strategy.
This situation exemplifies the complexities of environmental legislation, where well-intentioned policies for combating climate change can inadvertently lead to unintended consequences in vulnerable communities.
As stakeholders continue to grapple with these challenges in Antelope Valley, the urgent need for comprehensive solutions becomes increasingly evident.
With public and private interests at play, finding common ground that addresses both environmental and community concerns remains a formidable task.
image source from：https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2025-06-11/is-the-states-compost-law-killing-the-antelope-valley-desert-ecosystem
