The most commonly committed environmental crime in Los Angeles is illegal dumping and littering. For the Bureau of Street Services (BSS), it's a $12 million problem, but that doesn't include the money spent by business improvement districts, the parks department and other groups. more ›

Transit riders in South L.A. will begin to see these bus ads, reminding them that reporting illegal dumping can lead to a $1,000 reward. Marketing of the incentive, which is available to any illegal dumping case throughout the city, is one part of a campaign to solve rampant dumping in South L.A. neighborhoods. more ›

It was MLK Day 2009 when Downtown's Standard Hotel greeted the public and investigating authorities with a vomit-inducing "cloud of noxious gas," thanks to the "two 50-gallon drums of muriatic acid and chlorine," they had dumped. Now the hotel's corporate operator "has agreed to plead guilty to violating federal environmental laws," according to a Department of Justice press release. The plea comes with a criminal fine of $200k (the maximum under law) and a $150k community service payment. The chemical dump was done by order by a maintenance worker; the fumes that resulted from the mix of chemicals spread through the storm drain and were released into the nearby 7th and Metro subway station. more ›

With the budget shortfall--estimates now have it up to $700 million for the rest of this fiscal year and next year--and massive city layoffs--up to 4,000 over the next year--city services will start dwindling. The one we'll feel (literally) the most? Potholes. On Wednesday at the L.A. City Council meeting, Bureau of Street Services director Bill Robertson said 80,000 fewer potholes will be filled, according to the Daily News. That's 300,000 potholes instead of the usual 380,000 (at least they are useful to artists). "We will not be able to be as proactive as we have been," Robertson said. "We will be reacting more to complaints and emergencies than we are able to deal with this in advance." Response times to illegal dumping complaints will also take longer--from four tday to six to seven days. more ›

How many times have you placed something you don't need anymore on the sidewalk hoping it will disappear someday soon? A fridge? A bed? A mattress? A desk? If you didn't call 3-1-1 to request a free bukly item pickup, that's illegal dumping, which can be punishable with high fines or some jail time. The Department of Public Works reported today that in the fourth quarter of the last fiscal year (that is, April - June of this year), 15 arrests were made, 172 administrative hearings conducted and 1,503 administrative citations were issued to Multi-Family Bulky Item illegal dumping violators. Most of the arrests were made in South LA, where the LA Times continued to investigate a massive illegal dumping problem. The department also has two online forms, one for reporting the location of illegal dumping and another to tip off investigators if you might know a suspect (there could be a $1000 reward). You can also call 3-1-1 to report illegal dumping. more ›

Seven months after the LA Times did a report on South LA's illegal dumping problem, they've found not much has changed. The city says service is getting faster, but the problem persists. more ›

There was a little something "extra" in the air Downtown on Martin Luther King Jr. Day this year, and it wasn't part of the celebration. It was "a cloud of noxious gas," that caused some folks to vomit and one "Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy to experience a burning sensation in his eyes and lungs," according to the LA Times. more ›