The California Integrated Waste Management Board awarded $800,000 in grants Wednesday for the cleanup and removal of illegal waste dumped at sites inside the Yurok Reservation and along the Klamath River.

The three illegal dump sites targeted for cleanup pose some challenges because of their remote location.

Debris at one of the sites will have to be flown out by helicopter.

Debris at that site has been dumped from along state Route 169, down a 400- to 500-foot cliff and onto a gravel bank along the Klamath River.

During high river flows, the debris can be carried to the Pacific Ocean.

The grants awarded Wednesday come from the Waste Board’s Solid Waste Disposal and Codisposal Grant Program, which funds the cleanup of sites when a responsible party cannot be identified or is unable or unwilling to pay cleanup costs.

The grants accelerate timely cleanup of dump sites that pose a risk to public health or the environment.