Erie County Local Law 5 of 2025 makes it unlawful to dump waste, debris, or hazardous materials on any county-owned property without prior written authorization. Penalties include fines up to $1,000 and potential jail time for repeat offenders. The law supplements New York Environmental Conservation Law §27-1602 and is enforced in coordination with the Erie County Sheriff's Office and county property managers.
Erie County Local Law 5 of 2025 ("Prohibition of Public Dumping on County Property"), introduced by Legislator Taisha St. Jean Tard and adopted following a July 17, 2025 public hearing, addresses a long-standing gap in county-level dumping enforcement. Before this law, illegal-dumping enforcement on county-owned land (parks, county roadsides, the Erie County Forest, holding-center grounds, county parking lots, and other county facilities) relied primarily on New York Environmental Conservation Law §27-1602 (unlawful disposal of solid waste) and on individual town or city ordinances when the dump site spanned jurisdictions. The new local law explicitly makes it unlawful to deposit waste, debris, or hazardous materials on any county-owned property without prior written authorization from the county, gives the Sheriff and county property managers a direct citation tool, and authorizes fines up to $1,000 per violation with potential jail time for repeat offenders. The law applies countywide regardless of the surrounding town/village jurisdiction whenever the dump site is on county-owned land, and it operates in addition to (not in place of) state ECL enforcement and any applicable municipal dumping or littering ordinances. Hazardous waste disposal continues to be regulated separately under NY Environmental Conservation Law Article 27 and federal RCRA, and the Erie County Department of Environment & Planning offers a year-round household hazardous waste collection program for residents to dispose of materials legally.
Dumping waste, debris, or hazardous materials on county-owned property without written authorization is punishable by fines of up to $1,000 per occurrence. Repeat offenders may face jail time. Each separate dump site or load may be charged as a separate violation. State charges under NY ECL §27-1602 may be filed in addition for unlawful disposal of solid waste, and hazardous-material dumping can trigger ECL Article 71 penalties and federal RCRA liability.
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