Olmsted County, MN Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Ch. 3500 § 3508.07, Non-Permitted Solid Waste Sites
- Criminal penalty
- Misdemeanor, up to $1,000 fine, 90 days jail
- Farm exemption
- Narrow burial rule under Minn. Stat. § 17.135
- Reporting duty
- Must notify Environmental Resources Department
- Civil path
- Chapter 4000 notice of violation or court claim
- Repeat offenses
- Can trigger MPCA referral, added fines
Summary
Dumping solid waste anywhere other than a permitted disposal site is a violation of Olmsted County's Solid Waste Management Ordinance, punishable as a misdemeanor carrying up to a $1,000 fine and 90 days in jail. A narrow farm-burial exemption exists under state law, but household and construction dumping outside that exemption must go to a licensed facility or hauler.
It is a violation of this Ordinance for any Person to dispose of Solid Waste, excluding Compost, Backyard Sites and Agricultural Site disposal exemptions (Minnesota Statutes, Section. 17.135), at locations other than Permitted Sites. The owner of any such Site shall prevent further disposal of Solid Waste at the site and take corrective actions to appropriately close the site, as determined by Olmsted County and/or the MPCA. Upon discovery of the existence of a non-permitted Solid Waste site, a Person shall report the location to the County Environmental Resources Department.
Full Breakdown
135. That state exemption lets a farm household bury, or burn and bury, waste generated by the household or farming operation, but it does not cover tires, plastics other than baling twine, household hazardous waste, major appliances, household batteries, used motor oil, or lead-acid batteries, and it drops away entirely if regularly scheduled pickup is reasonably available at the farm. Anyone who discovers an unpermitted dump site in the county has a duty to report the location to the County Environmental Resources Department, and the property owner is responsible for stopping further dumping and closing the site to the satisfaction of Olmsted County and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
Burning solid waste is separately prohibited outside that same limited agricultural exception. 01: the Environmental Resources Department and County Attorney can pursue the matter as a criminal offense, a civil Notice of Violation under the Chapter 4000 Administrative Enforcement and Appeals Ordinance, or a civil claim in court seeking damages, injunctive relief, cleanup costs and remediation. A criminal conviction is a misdemeanor carrying a fine of up to $1,000 and up to 90 days in jail, and every day the dumped material remains is a separate offense.
07 layers on additional fines, cost recovery for removal, and referral to the MPCA for repeat or serious violations, on top of any cleanup order requiring the responsible party to remediate the site.
Violations & Fines
Illegal dumping is prosecutable as a misdemeanor: up to a $1,000 fine and up to 90 days in jail on conviction, with each additional day the dumped waste remains counted as a new offense. The Environmental Resources Department can instead pursue a civil Notice of Violation under Chapter 4000, or a court claim for cleanup costs, remediation and injunctive relief, and repeat or non-agricultural violations can trigger a referral to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it illegal to dump trash on my own rural property in Olmsted County?
What is the penalty for illegal dumping in Olmsted County?
Do I have to report an illegal dump site I come across?
Can I burn trash on my property instead of dumping it?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Olmsted County
Compare Olmsted County to another location·View the Minnesota trash & recycling overview
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