Josephine County, OR Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)

070 declares a list of waste-related conditions 'conducive to human exposure to organisms or which present a reasonable possibility that the public is being exposed to hazard, disease, physical suffering, or illness,' prohibits each one, and calls it a nuisance. Item (D) requires putrescible waste, meaning organic material that decomposes rapidly and can attract disease vectors, to be kept in fly-tight, rodent-proof containers and removed from the premises at least every seven days. Item (E) separately bans letting solid waste accumulate to the point it is conducive to propagating mosquitoes, flies, rodents, or other public health vectors, which covers open dumping on a property even without a specific container failure.

080(D) adds a distinct prohibition on hauling uncovered solid waste materials on public streets, closing off roadside dumping from passing loads. 090(B) lets the County bypass the standard three-resident complaint and abatement-letter process and move directly to legal proceedings, or even summary abatement, when the dumping poses a major threat. 120). The Environmental Health Department administers this chapter and can also require abatement costs be billed directly to the property owner, tenant, or possessor.