Storage Yard Owner Ordered to Clean Up Illegal Dumping

The city of Los Angeles has ordered the cleanup of waste illegally dumped at a private storage yard on Culver Boulevard next to the Marina Freeway.

Bureau of Sanitation officials said an investigation of the S. T. Storage yard east of Marina del Rey found an “accumulation of illegally dumped waste” on the perimeter of the property that they said could pose an environmental hazard. They said the waste could attract rats and possibly create a health problem.

Enforcement Division Manager Vince Varsh said in an interview last week that wood waste, appliances, construction material and dirt had been dumped on the site next to the eastbound freeway on-ramp. “There wasn’t any hazardous material that we could identify,” Varsh said.

Enforcement agent Penny Weiand said state and city codes forbid the dumping of waste except at a landfill. Illegal dumping on private property is “not a very common occurrence” in the West Los Angeles area, she noted.

After the property was inspected, Alan Blunt, operator of the storage yard, was ordered to “clean up, remove and properly dispose of the waste,” Weiand said. He was not cited and no penalty was imposed.

Weiand said Blunt has been complying with the city’s order.

Blunt said he voluntarily agreed to clean up the material that had been dumped over the years on the former railroad right of way that stretches from Culver Boulevard to the edge of Ballona Creek.

Under terms of the cleanup program, the waste will be removed at the rate of two large containers a month until all of the material has been trucked to a landfill. The process is expected to take about a year to complete.

Blunt also agreed the storage yard will be continuously staffed by a yard manager or a night watchman to prevent future dumping. “We’ve got our problem 100% under control,” he said. “The premises are patrolled 24 hours a day.”