Erie County Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping Rules (2026)

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.