St. Tammany Parish, LA Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing sections
- Sec. 38-164, 38-165, 38-186
- Unlicensed open dump fine
- Up to $10,000.00 per incident
- License loss for violators
- Minimum 3 years
- Cleanup deadline
- 30 days after violation found
- General misdemeanor penalty
- Up to $500.00 fine or 30 days jail
- Documentation deadline
- Disposal receipt within 14 days
Summary
St. Tammany Parish bans dumping solid waste anywhere except a licensed subtitle D landfill or a facility authorized by the Department of Environmental Services or the state DEQ. Operating an unlicensed open dump is also unlawful, and cleanup plus a fine of up to $10,000.00 per incident can follow.
Sec. 38-164. - Unauthorized dumping. It shall be a violation of this article for any person and/or entity to dispose of solid waste collected within the parish at any place, regardless of location, except at a subtitle D—Landfill site or facility authorized by this article and/or DEQ. Sec. 38-165. - Unlicensed open dumps. It shall be a violation of this article for any person to operate an open dump. ... Any licensee that utilizes an unlicensed open dump, even if such material does not originate in the parish, will be subject to the loss of said license for not less than three years. Furthermore, the licensee shall clean up said area within 30 days and shall be subject to a fine of up to $10,000.00 per incident.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 12 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Section 38-164 makes it a violation for any person or entity to dispose of solid waste collected within the parish anywhere except at an authorized subtitle D landfill site or facility. Section 38-165 separately bans operating an unlicensed open dump. Waste illegally placed in an open dump must be collected and hauled to a licensed facility by the property owner or whoever the department identifies as responsible for the dumping. That responsible party must notify the department at least 48 hours before starting excavation or removal, and must submit a receipt or other documentation proving lawful disposal no later than 14 days after the waste is removed.
00 per incident. ), or a justice of the peace pursue citations, injunctive relief, cost recovery and attorney fees, or a public-nuisance abatement order billed back to the property owner.
Violations & Fines
General violations of the solid waste chapter, including Sec. 38-164 and 38-165 dumping offenses, are misdemeanors under Sec. 38-186 punishable by a fine of up to $500.00, imprisonment up to 30 days, or both, with each day of a continuing violation a separate offense. A licensee who dumps at an unlicensed open dump additionally forfeits its license for a minimum of three years and faces up to $10,000.00 per incident plus mandatory cleanup within 30 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can solid waste legally be dumped in St. Tammany Parish?
What happens if a licensed hauler is caught using an illegal dump?
Who enforces illegal dumping violations here?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Tammany Parish
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