Dumping trash in prohibited areas can cause
public health and safety concerns. Broken glass, exposed metal and other
dangerous materials can hurt children playing around illegally dumped debris.
Rats, snakes, mosquitoes and other pests are attracted to and populate within
dumped garbage. This debris washes into storm drains during rain, and eventually
ends up in our neighborhood creeks.
Illegal dumpsites and roadside litter create a negative image of our
community. Illegal dumping also creates more illegal dumping - people are much
more likely to dump on property where trash already exists.
Cleanup costs can be very expensive The Texas Department of Transportation
spends $37 million a year in state tax dollars picking up roadside litter alone.
Stopping illegal dumping makes good environmental sense and good economic
sense. You can help solve the problem by working with the City of Bryan to
create a cleaner, healthier, and safer community.
Common Illegal Dumping Methods:
Throwing litter out of a car, truck or
boat.
Dumping household trash, construction
debris or yard waste on land that is not a legal landfill.
Dumping household trash in someone's
dumpster without authorization.
Hauling trash for profit and dumping it
on land that is not a legal landfill.
Letting someone else dump waste on your
property, whether they pay you or not.
Pouring used motor oil or restaurant
grease into storm drains or down manhole covers.
Disposing of old cars by rolling them
into a river.
Texas Litter Abatement Act
Fines for Illegal Dumping:
Class C
Misdemeanor - If the
amount dumped weighs 5 pounds or less or has a volume of 5 gallons or
less, the maximum penalty is:
a fine not to
exceed $500
Class B
Misdemeanor - If the
amount dumped weighs more than 5 pounds but less than 500 pounds or has
a volume of more than 5 gallons but less than 100 cubic feet, the
maximum penalty is:
a fine not to
exceed $2,000
confinement in
jail for a term not to exceed 180 days
or both fine
and confinement
Class A
Misdemeanor - If the
amount dumped weighs 500 pounds or more, but less than 1,000 pounds, or
has a volume of 100 cubic feet or more, but less than 200 cubic feet, OR
if it was disposed for a commercial purpose and weighs more than five
pounds but less than 200 pounds or has a volume of more than 5 gallons
but less than 200 cubic feet, the maximum penalty is:
a fine not to
exceed $4,000
confinement in
jail for a term not to exceed one year
or both fine
and confinement
State Jail Felony
- If the amount dumped weighs 1,000 pounds or more or has a volume of
200 cubic feet or more OR if it was disposed for a commercial purpose
and weighs 200 pounds or more or has a volume of 200 cubic feet or more,
or is contained in a closed barrel or drum, the maximum penalty is:
confinement in
a state jail for not more than two years, but not less than 180 days
Additionally,
an individual may also be fined an amount not to exceed $10,000
If it is shown on
the trial of the defendant for an offense for illegal dumping that the
person was previously convicted of an offense of illegal dumping, the
punishment for the offense is increased to the punishment for the next
highestcategory.
What Can I
Do to Reduce the Possibility of Illegal Dumps?
