Craighead County, AR Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Craighead County Code § 360.02
- Fine range
- $1,000.00 to $10,000.00
- Enforcing officer
- Illegal Dumps Control Officer, Sheriff
- Notice-to-correct window
- 30 days
- State overlay
- Litter Control Act, A.C.A. §§ 8-6-401 to 416
Summary
Illegally storing, handling, or dumping waste in unincorporated Craighead County violates § 360.02, which defines illegal storage and handling broadly and sets a misdemeanor fine of $1,000 to $10,000, enforced by the county's Illegal Dumps Control Officer and Sheriff's Office.
1) DEFINITIONS. ... b) Illegal storage and handling- The possession of drums, polluted soils, other containment devices and/or the discharge, deposit, injection, dumping, spilling, leaking or placing of any waste into or on any land or water so that such substance or any constituent thereof may enter the environment or be emitted into the air or discharged into any water, including groundwater. ... e) Illegal storage or handling of any solid, liquid, household, automotive, commercial, or demolition water, whether dumped, spilled, burned or abandoned. ... 7) PENALTIES. Any person(s), firm, corporation, partnership, association of persons, owner, occupant, agent or anyone having supervision or control, which shall violate a provision of this Ordinance, or fail to comply therewith, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. Upon conviction of any such violation, such person(s) shall be punished by a fine of at least one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) and not to exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00).
Full Breakdown
02 of the Craighead County Code targets illegal dumping through its definition of illegal storage and handling: possessing drums, polluted soils, or other containment devices, or discharging, depositing, injecting, dumping, spilling, leaking or placing any waste onto land or into water so that it may enter the environment, be emitted into the air, or reach any water including groundwater, all without the proper permits from the controlling agency, such as the EPA or the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality. The ordinance separately bars illegal storage or handling of any solid, liquid, household, automotive, commercial, or demolition waste, whether it is dumped, spilled, burned, or abandoned.
Enforcement runs through the county's Illegal Dumps Control Officer working alongside the Sheriff or other law enforcement, who must issue written notice of an alleged violation, allow 30 days to correct it, and, if it goes uncorrected, gather photographs and documentation for the Prosecuting Attorney. A cited person may contest the notice by filing a sworn affidavit within 15 days. §§ 8-6-401 through 416, meaning a dumper can face both county and state consequences for the same conduct. The ordinance dates to 2008 and its fines are collected as reimbursement for the county's abatement and enforcement costs.
Violations & Fines
Illegal dumping is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of at least $1,000.00 and up to $10,000.00 upon conviction, one of the steepest penalties in the county code; fines collected are credited to the county's costs of abating the illegal dump. The county may also pursue civil abatement and cost recovery separately from criminal prosecution.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as illegal dumping under Craighead County's code?
How much is the fine for illegal dumping in unincorporated Craighead County?
Who investigates illegal dumping complaints in the county?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Craighead County
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