Illegal dumping is prohibited by both the Buncombe County solid-waste ordinance and North Carolina's littering statute, NCGS 14-399. Dumping litter on public or private land you don't own is a misdemeanor carrying fines from $500 to $2,000 plus mandatory community service, and vehicles used to dump large amounts can be
Under NCGS 14-399(a), "No person... shall intentionally or recklessly throw, scatter, spill or place... or otherwise dispose of any litter upon any public property or private property not owned by the person within this State." Subsection (b) adds a strong enforcement tool: "When litter is blown, scattered, spilled, thrown or placed from a vehicle or watercraft, the operator thereof shall be presumed to have committed the offense." Penalties scale with volume — 15 to 500 pounds not for commercial purposes is a Class 3 misdemeanor fined $500–$2,000 plus 24–100 hours of community service. Dumping over 500 pounds can forfeit the vehicle. County Environmental Control investigates local dumping complaints.
Class 3 misdemeanor for 15–500 lbs: $500–$2,000 fine plus 24–100 hours community service; over 500 lbs subjects the vehicle to seizure and forfeiture to the State.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Buncombe County, NC
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See how Buncombe County's illegal dumping rules stack up against other locations.
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