COLUMBUS — In recognition of Earth Day, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced Wednesday a second round of funding through his “Shine a Light on Dumpers” initiative, making another $1 million in grants available to help local communities clean up illegal dump sites and prevent future dumping.
“Local governments made it clear that they needed this program, and we listened,” Yost said. “Illegal dumping is unacceptable, plain and simple. These grants help communities fight back, and Earth Day is the right time to double down on those efforts.”
The impact will be felt in Richland County. The Richland County Sheriff’s Office is among those entities to receive grant funding.
According to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, the money earmarked for the Richland County Sheriff’s Office will address open dumping by replacing aging and ineffective deterrent signs with new, more visible signage.
This is part of an effort to encourage responsible disposal and enhance public awareness of the illegal dumping issue.
The funding builds on the success of the first round of grants, awarded in 2025, which supported 31 projects throughout Ohio, highlighting the widespread demand from local governments for resources to address illegal dumping.
Local governments can apply for up to $100,000 for illegal dump-site cleanup and up to $20,000 for preventive measures, including signs, gates and barriers. The program funding comes from settlement dollars secured by the Environmental Enforcement Section of Yost’s office.
The application period, opening today, will run through July 31, or until the funds are exhausted. Yost’s Environmental Enforcement team expects to review applications on a rolling basis, with the goal of awarding and distributing funds by the end of 2026.
Simultaneous with the application period, the team will host a series of trainings for local law enforcement and municipal officials on how to investigate and deter illegal dumping.
The Shine a Light on Dumpers initiative, launched in 2023, takes a comprehensive approach to combating illegal dumping through enforcement support, public education, equipment resources and grant funding.