Illegal dumping in Iowa City is prosecuted on two tracks. City: Iowa City Code Title 6, Chapter 1 lists junk and garbage accumulation as a public nuisance - 7-day notice plus $100 admin fee plus contractor cleanup cost charged to the responsible party or property. State: Iowa Code Chapter 455B (DNR solid waste) and §716.5 (criminal mischief/trespass for dumping); for items over 10 lbs or 15 cubic feet, state fines begin at $1,000 first offense, $2,000 second, $3,000+ subsequent under 2016 enhanced-penalty law. Iowa DNR Field Services also enforces. Report: Neighborhood Services 319-356-5120 or Iowa DNR.
Illegal dumping in Iowa City is enforced under a stacked city-and-state framework. City track: Iowa City Code Title 6 (Public Health and Safety), Chapter 1 (Nuisances) - section 6-1-2 enumerates accumulation of junk, garbage, refuse, debris on private or public property as a public nuisance. The Department of Neighborhood and Development Services (Housing Inspection Services, 319-356-5120) responds: inspector verifies, posts notice, mails Letter of Violation with cure window (typically 7 days for general debris). If not abated, the City hires a contractor to remove the material and bills the property owner for actual contractor cost plus a $100 administrative fee, certified to Johnson County as a special assessment on the parcel under Iowa Code §384.84 if unpaid. State track: Iowa Code Chapter 455B (Jurisdiction of Department of Natural Resources) governs unlawful disposal of solid waste - §455B.307A specifically addresses illegal dumping with DNR Field Services enforcement and administrative-penalty authority. Iowa's 2016 enhanced illegal-dumping law (House File 2472, codified into Chapter 455B and §716.5) created criminal-level fines: for unlawful disposal of items more than 10 pounds in weight or more than 15 cubic feet in volume, fines begin at $1,000 for the first offense, $2,000 for a second violation, and $3,000 for a third or subsequent offense - on top of cleanup costs. Smaller-scale littering is also a state-law violation under Iowa Code §455B with lower penalties. Repeat offenders or commercial-scale dumpers may be charged under Iowa Code §716.5 (criminal mischief) as a misdemeanor with possible jail time and additional fines. Special hot spots in Iowa City: alleys near University of Iowa student rental zones (move-out season generates significant illegal-dumping enforcement, with the City posting a move-out 'Hauling Trash Out' campaign annually); commercial dumpsters used by non-customers; vacant lots accumulating dumped tires, appliances, mattresses. The City also runs a free move-out donation/disposal program and partners with the Iowa City Landfill (3900 Hebl Ave SW) and the Iowa City Habitat ReStore to absorb usable items. Report illegal dumping: 319-356-5120 (City Neighborhood Services) or 1-888-NO-2-DUMP / Iowa DNR. State authority: Iowa Code §455B.307A; §455D; §716.5; 2016 Iowa Acts Ch. 1076.
City nuisance enforcement: 7-day notice, then contractor cleanup with cost plus $100 admin fee charged to the property owner or known responsible party, unpaid amounts certified as special assessment on the parcel under Iowa Code §384.84. Repeat municipal-infraction citations: civil penalty up to $1,000 per offense under Iowa Code §364.22 and Iowa City Code §1-4-2. State enforcement under Iowa Code §455B and the 2016 enhanced-penalty law: for items >10 lbs or >15 cubic feet, fines start at $1,000 first offense, $2,000 second, $3,000 third or subsequent - on top of cleanup costs. Criminal track under §716.5: simple misdemeanor for dumping on another's property without permission, with possible jail time and fines. Iowa DNR administrative penalties under §455B.307A. Repeat or commercial-scale dumping may also trigger federal RCRA enforcement if hazardous waste is involved (40 CFR Parts 260-273).
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