Documents on Trash

Contents of this section:

• Definition of Illegal dumping
• Why People Dump Illegally
• Problems Caused by Illegal Dumping
• Cost of Illegal Dumping
• What Factors Contribute to the Problem?

Illegal dumping is disposal of larger quantities of waste (versus litterwhich is generally only a few small items) in an unpermitted area. It isalso referred to as "open dumping,", "fly dumping," and "midnight dumping"because materials are often dumped in open areas from traveling vehiclesalong roadsides, and late at night. Illegally dumped wastes are primarilynonhazardous materials that are dumped to avoid either disposal fees orthe time and effort required for proper disposal. These materials typicallyinclude:

• Tires
• Bags of household trash that can include household hazardous wastessuch as paints, motor oil, and household cleaners such as bleach and ammonia.Disposable diapers also present a serious health concern.
• Appliances: refrigerators, washers and dryers, hot water tanks, etc.
• Bulky items: furniture, TVs, carpets, etc.
• Vehicle parts including gas tanks, car parts, and oil filters, batteries,etc.
• Construction/Remodeling debris such as shingles, siding, wood,wallboard, toilets, bathtubs. Also, concrete, bricks and other "clean fill"items. Usually from do-it-yourselfers.
• Compostable materials: brush, grass clippings, Christmas trees, leaves,etc.
• Stolen items

Wastes such as scrap tires, bulky items, and yard waste may be illegallydumped because they are banned from landfills or their proper managementcan be costly. Residential and commercial wastes may be illegally dumpedin areas that either lack or have costly pickup service.

Sites used for illegal dumping vary but may include abandoned industrialsites, residential or commercial buildings; vacant lots on public or privateproperty; and infrequently used alleys or roadways. Because of their accessibilityand lack of lighting, areas along rural roads, railways and abandoned stripmines are particularly vulnerable. Illegal dumping can occur at any timeof day but is more common at night or in the early morning hours.

If not dealt with, illegal dumps often attract more waste, potentiallyincluding hazardous wastes such as asbestos, household chemicals and paints,automotive fluids and commercial or industrial wastes.

Why People Dump Illegally

Unlike litter, there is no accidental illegal dumping. Illegal dumpingis an intentional act. It is difficult to profile a typical illegal dumper.Research indicates that socioeconomic factors are not a dependable predictorof illegal dumping. Some individuals will choose to engage in illegal dumpingdespite the convenience or efficiency of the collection and disposal services.Some reasons why people dump their trash illegally:

• Missed collection day or need to get rid of trash (moving)
• Too costly
• Hauler won't accept large items
• Too inconvenient
• Hide other activity (In some cases, illegal dumpers are also breakingother laws relating to vehicle licensing, insurance, drug possession ortheft. Sometimes kids want to dispose of evidence of a party while parentswere out-of-town.)
• Making a buck (Midnight Joe or a more sophisticated operator who claimsto be a transfer station or recycler.)

Problems Caused by Illegal Dumping

All of the problems caused by littering, are, of course, magnified whenit comes to illegal dumping. Additionally, illegal dumping causes significantheath and safety problems such as the following:

• Areas used for illegal dumping may be easily accessible to people, especiallychildren, who are vulnerable to the physical (nails sticking out, sharpedges) and chemical (harmful fluids or dust) hazards posed by wastes.
• Rodents, insects, and other vermin attracted to dump sites may also posehealth risks.
• Dump sites with scrap tires are an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes,which can multiply 100 times faster than normal in the warm stagnant waterthat collects within tires. Severe illnesses have been caused by disease-carryingmosquitoes originating from scrap tire piles.
• Some neighborhoods have been evacuated and significant property damage caused from dump sites that have caught on fire, either accidentally or, more commonly, intentionally set on fire.
• Sites where there are a large number of tires are particularly attractive to pyromaniacs.
• In rural areas, burning at dump sites can cause forest fires and severe erosion as fires burn away trees and undergrowth.
• Illegal dumping can interfere with proper drainage or run-off, making areas more likely to have flooding when wastes block ravines, creeks, culverts, and drainage basins.
• Runoff from dump sites containing chemicals may contaminate wells and surface water used as sources of drinking water.

• Dump sites serve as magnets for additional dumping and other criminal activities. As a result of illegal dumping, property values decrease, and the community becomes unattractive to further home and business development. Without the tax income that comes from new development, funding to establish and maintain effective illegal dumping enforcement programs is limited. In the end, it is often the development of areas surrounding illegal dump sites tthat stops the problem, because offenders are more likely to be seen.

  Cost of Illegal Dumping

  The costs to local government and property owners connected with the continuous clearing of illegally dumped waste materials are high. Some urban areas have reported spending several million dollars per year on cleanup, hauling and disposal of this illegally dumped trash. These costs are passed along to local residents in the form of higher service fees or property taxes. Local governments need to put into action and enforce both the state and local laws. To do so, many municipalities would have to increase the number of their enforcement officers which could be a significant increase in their budget.

  Local governments are burdened by and must respond to litter and illegal dump activities. Public works departments typically fund litter pick-up and illegal dump clean-up. The City of Los Angeles spends over $4 million annually to clean up approximately 121,000 tons of trash at illegal dump sites. The District of Columbia's Department of Public Works spends nearly $1 million each year cleaning up illegal dump sites. The City of Berkeley, California cleans up approximately 160 tons of illegally dumped items each year at a cost to the city's taxpayers of over $100,000. A City of Philadelphia study determined that illegal dumping activities cost the city $5 million dollars annually.

  What Factors Contribute to the Problem?

  Where You Live

  If a community has limited access to convenient, affordable waste disposal facilities and recycling services, illegal dumping is generally a problem. In lower-income areas, residents may not be able to afford trash pickup and disposal fees. These areas may also have gang or drug-related activities and high crime rates, which often result in illegal dumping being given a low priority by law enforcement officials and prosecutors. The problem tends to be worse in areas with a high population of renters who have less stake in the community or absentee property owners who do not know or respond to problems. Residents in rural areas, where illegal dumping is common, may not question a lifetime practice or may not be aware of the laws or understand how harmful it is.

  Physical Characteristics

  In rural areas, illegal dumping occurs in remote or isolated places that are relatively easy to access. In urban areas, property with easy access such as empty lots, abandoned buildings, unused factories and remote spaces, are inviting to illegal dumpers because the chances are that no one will be seen dumping or, if seen, will not be reported.

  Other areas include poorly lit side roads, property along railroads, highways and alleys, charity drop box locations (Goodwill, Salvation Army), and construction sites or public areas with waste containers. Forest preserves, wooded sites, hillsides and farms (especially those near heavily populated areas) are often targets for illegal dumping because they are dark and few people are around. The borders of cities and counties tend to have more illegal dumping because police are less likely to be on the fringes of their districts.

  Illegal dumping occurs near junkyards, active or closed landfills, solid waste transfer stations, and temporary dump sites at construction sites when dumpers want to avoid disposal fees or find that a site is closed or refuses to accept their waste. Also, the presence of trash attracts more trash. Once there is something dumped, it seems to give others permission to dump there too.

  Natural disasters, particularly flooding, result in damaged appliances, wrecked furniture and demolition debris that may lead to widespread illegal dumping.

  Lack of Affordable and Convenient Waste Disposal and Recycling Programs

  Areas without regular or affordable pickup service for trash and recyclables tend to have more household and yard waste dumping. Items that are not allowed in landfills, such as yard waste, scrap tires, Freon-containing appliances and car batteries may be illegally dumped unless there are alternate programs available which will take them.

  Lack of Enforcement

  Illegal dumping is a problem in many areas because of a lack of enforcement of laws prohibiting open dumping or burning of wastes. Both of these activities break federal and most state laws, but enforcement by local authorities is often a low priority. They are also difficult to enforce because some judges require actual witnessing of the act. In some cases, the fines for dumping are less than the costs for proper disposal, and dumpers consider the fines to be simply a lesser cost of doing business.

  Some people think that lack of effective laws is the problem, but generally, laws are in place and if there aren't local laws there are plenty of state laws. The biggest problem is enforcing the laws.