Benton County, WA Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- BCC 6.04, adopted Ord. 61 (1959)
- Prohibited dumping sites
- Ditches, ravines, rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, bare ground
- Evidence rule
- Identified owner = prima facie evidence (6.04.050)
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor under BCC 6.04.090
- Geographic reach
- Unincorporated Benton County only
Summary
Unincorporated Benton County bans dumping garbage, offal or manure into any ditch, ravine, river, stream, lake, pond or bare ground on public or private land. Garbage found with an identifiable owner's name is treated as prima facie evidence of illegal dumping, and violators face a misdemeanor charge under BCC 6.04.090.
6.04.020 WASTE, OFFAL AND MANURE. ... Such material shall not be disposed of by being deposited in any ditch, ravine, river, stream, lake, pond nor upon the surface of the ground on any highway or on any private or public property. Garbage shall be disposed of by the owner by either incineration, burial, sanitary fill or by transporting to a disposal area duly designated as such by the Benton County Commissioners. 6.04.050 ILLEGAL DEPOSITS: IDENTIFICATION OF OWNER. Identification of the owner and location of any garbage and other waste materials as defined in this chapter found upon public or private property or on any highway of this county shall be considered as prima facie evidence of its having been illegally deposited on said public or private property or highway by said identified owner of such garbage and other waste material as designated above. 6.04.090 VIOLATIONS - PENALTIES. Any person, company, firm or corporation violating any of the provisions of this chapter shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
Full Breakdown
04 requires that garbage, offal, manure, and rubbish mixed with those materials be disposed of only by incineration, burial, sanitary fill, or hauling to a disposal area the Benton County Commissioners have designated. 020 specifically forbids dumping such waste into any ditch, ravine, river, stream, lake or pond, or leaving it on the ground surface along any highway or on private or public property. 050, gives code enforcement a practical tool: when garbage or waste material is found dumped and the owner can be identified from mail, labels or other markings inside it, that identification is treated as prima facie evidence the identified owner illegally deposited it there, shifting the burden onto the property or waste owner to explain otherwise.
030 separately bars throwing or dropping glass, debris or waste from a moving vehicle, or hauling garbage in an uncovered load that can spill onto county highways. 090, a criminal charge carried through Ord. 214 (1987). This chapter, first adopted as Ord. 61 in 1959, applies only within unincorporated Benton County; Kennewick, Richland, West Richland and Prosser enforce their own municipal dumping codes inside city limits.
Violations & Fines
Dumping garbage, offal or manure in a ditch, stream, or on open ground, or hauling an uncovered load that spills waste onto a county road, is a misdemeanor under BCC 6.04.090. Finding identifying material such as mail or labels in the dumped waste is enough on its own to charge the identified owner under BCC 6.04.050's prima facie evidence rule.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it illegal to dump garbage in a ditch in unincorporated Benton County?
What happens if my name is found in dumped garbage?
What's the penalty for illegal dumping in Benton County?
Does the county illegal dumping rule apply inside Kennewick or Richland?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Benton County
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