Illegal Dumping May Cost Violators $5,000.00

St. Tammany Parish Enforcing Regulations

  During the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, St. Tammany Parish code enforcement officers were assisting with many areas of emergency operations.  As of Monday, October 17^th, parish code enforcement employees are back to their assigned duties and are tracking down those who chose to violate dumping, littering, and public health ordinances during the past seven weeks.  These ordinances do not apply to citizens placing storm debris from their own property onto their own right-of-way for storm pick-up.

    “We don’t need to see the dumping occurring to get a violator,” said Parish President Kevin Davis.  “There are many ways of connecting a person to his or her garbage.  When we make that connection, we will enforce the code to the greatest extent of the law.  It is unfortunate that some citizens have decided to make some of our most beautiful rural areas their private dumping grounds.  This will stop.”

    The Parish Code of Ordinances orders that “(n)o person shall intentionally dispose or permit the disposal of any household or office furniture or appliances, automotive parts, including but not limited to, tires and engines, trailers, boats, and boating accessories, tools, and equipment, building materials, and bags or boxes of household or office garbage or refuse upon any public place in the Parish, upon private property in the Parish not owned by him, upon property located in rural areas in the Parish not owned by him, or in or on the waters of the Parish, whether from a vehicle or otherwise, including but not limited to, any public highway, public right-of-way, public park, beach, campground, forest land, recreational area, trailer park, highway, road, street, or alley except when such property is designated by the Parish or by any of its agencies or political subdivisions for the disposal of such litter and such person is authorized to use such property for such purpose.”

    A person may be found guilty and fined although the offense did not occur in the presence of a law enforcement officer if the evidence presented to the court establishes that the defendant has committed the offense. When investigating such dumping, the investigating officer may utilize any letters, bills, publications, or other writings to file charges.

     Any person found guilty of littering or dumping may be fined up to five thousand ($5,000) dollars, have his motor vehicle driver's license suspended for one year, be imprisoned for up to thirty days, and/or be assigned up to one hundred (100) hours in litter abatement work.

    “Code enforcement officers and our parish constables are working as a team on this problem.  I think it will stop when violators are forced to pay the price for their actions,” Davis continued.  “We have a beautiful parish and it is going to stay that way.”