Online resources deal with illegal dumping, litter

Small communities have made major strides in solid waste management since the era of open dumps. One solid waste issue that remains problematic, however, is illegal
dumping. The following Web sites provide information and downloadable documents that will help communities in their campaigns to eliminate illegal dumps and litter.

www.epa.gov/reg5rcra/wptdiv/illegal_dumping/index.html
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 5 created an Illegal Dumping Prevention Project “to exchange information and establish partnerships to develop and implement strategies to combat illegal dumping.” As part of this project, EPA Region 5 has produced two resources that will be useful to those working on illegal dumping issues.

The 36-page document, Illegal Dumping Prevention Guidebook, can be downloaded from this site. The guidebook covers the nature of the illegal dumping problem, explains how to develop a prevention program, lists available resources, and details cleanup
efforts. It also provides an illegal dumping prevention toolkit that provides information about community outreach, targeted enforcement, and program
measurement.

This site also features the downloadable tool, Illegal Dumping Economic Assessment (IDEA) Model. This cost-estimating tool allows users to plug in numbers to estimate the cost of cleaning up an illegal dump site. The tool may be used to demonstrate the true costs of illegal dumping to the community. Information that can be entered into the model includes dump site features, waste type, waste quantity, number of workers required and hourly rates, equipment needed, waste transport cost factors, site restoration costs factors, administrative costs, and offsetting costs (such as fines collected or volunteer labor used).

www.ncedr.org
The National Center for Environmental Decision-making Research (NCEDR) site contains the 75-page document, Decision Maker’s Guide to Controlling Litter and Illegal
Dumping. This downloadable guide contains information on characterizing the problem,
determining objectives, identifying constraints, reviewing existing laws, examining
enforcement, and considering control options. To access the document, go to the
“Guides” section on the main menu. The site also contains case studies, model laws,
checklists, and
educational materials.

www.rsyllc.com
Reed, Stowe & Yanke, LLC, a private consulting firm, has developed a number of publications dealing with solid waste issues, including How to Establish and Operate
an Environmental Enforcement Program. Developed for the Houston-Galveston Area Council, this 215-page manual helps local governments combat illegal dumping. The
manual’s topics include political buy-in and planning, management structure, education, enforcement and prosecution, cleanup, and program administration.
Appendices include a survey of environmental enforcement activities throughout the U.S. and a full-cost accounting guide for environmental enforcement programs. Although some of the information is specific to the Houston area, most of it has broad applicability.

Also available under the “Publications” section is the Targeted Illegal Dumper Study. This study was prepared for the North Central Texas Council of Governments,
which includes 16 counties. The study includes an analysis of illegal dumping trends in the region, profiles of illegal dumpers, and implementation strategies to prevent
illegal dumping. Some information is specific to Texas, but much of the information will be relevant to other communities dealing with illegal dumping.

www.pacleanways.org
This site provides information on how the statewide nonprofit organization, PA CleanWays, has tackled the illegal dumping problem. Information includes cleanup and
prevention strategies, education, and other topics.

www.kab.org
Keep America Beautiful, Inc., (KAB) is a nonprofit organization whose network of local, statewide, and international affiliate programs educates individuals about
litter prevention and ways to properly manage waste. The site also provides information about establishing a
special court to hear environmental cases. According to KAB, 25 communities have environmental courts. Their dockets are reserved exclusively for violations of local
health, safety, housing, building, fire, solid waste, and litter ordinances. As more environmental cases are prosecuted, greater compliance with local laws is realized,
resulting in a safer and cleaner community. To access information on environmental courts, select the “Municipalities” button on the main menu and then scroll down to “Environmental Courts.”