Illegal Disposal Site Abatement Grant Program

The Illegal Disposal Site Abatement Grant Program, administered by the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle), provides reimbursement-based financial assistance to public entities across California to support the cleanup of solid waste sites where illegal dumping has occurred. The goal of the program is to restore properties that have been adversely impacted by unauthorized disposal of solid waste and where the responsible party is either unidentifiable, unwilling, or unable to pay for remediation. The grant is available to California public entities, including counties, cities, districts, state agencies, and joint powers authorities. Charter cities or JPAs that include charter cities must demonstrate compliance with California Labor Code section 1782 to be eligible. Grants support cleanup projects that protect public health, safety, or the environment at solid waste or codisposal sites under the jurisdiction of the applicant. Each grant can award up to $500,000, and $1,000,000 is available in total for FY 2025–26. Projects must be cost-effective and supported by eligible documentation including a detailed work plan, narrative proposal, site characterization, and authorization documents. Projects may involve site investigations, removal of illegally dumped waste, restoration activities, and associated reporting. Indirect costs are generally ineligible unless pre-approved and must not exceed 10% of total labor costs. The program operates in two cycles for FY 2025–26. Cycle 104 opens on September 17, 2025, with the application deadline on October 15, 2025. Cycle 106 will open January 7, 2026, if funds remain. Each cycle has a secondary deadline by which authorization documents and Environmentally Preferable Purchasing and Practices (EPPP) policies must be submitted (November 12, 2025, and March 11, 2026, respectively). Grant awards are expected in December 2025 and April 2026. The grant term ends June 30, 2028, which is also the deadline for the final report and payment request. Applications must be submitted through CalRecycle’s secure Grants Management System. All required documentation must be complete at submission, and incomplete applications will be disqualified. For technical assistance, applicants may contact Grant Assistance at Grant.Assistance@calrecycle.ca.gov or call (916) 341-6228 during business hours before the application deadline.

Applicants should include detailed cost recovery explanations, follow EPPP and procurement rules, and monitor Q&A updates during the open period.