Kirkwood, MO Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Kirkwood Code § 10-4
- Penalty section
- § 10-5, misdemeanor
- Grading exception
- Clean fill under a valid permit
- Recycling exception
- Authorized Recycling Depository deposits
- Continuing violation
- Each day is a separate offense
Summary
Kirkwood bans open dumping of solid waste anywhere in the city, with narrow exceptions for permitted grading fill and authorized recycling or refuse disposal. Violators face misdemeanor prosecution under the city's general penalty section.
§ 10-4. Open dumping and temporary open dumping prohibited. ... ( ... 1) No person shall open dump or allow open dumping of any solid waste in any location within the City of Kirkwood. This section shall not prohibit the use of clean earth, stone, brick, or similar inorganic material for excavations or grading at locations where there is a valid grading or excavating permit issued by the City of Kirkwood. Furthermore, this section shall not prevent the depositing of authorized materials for recycling at the City of Kirkwood Recycling Depository or as authorized for refuse collections in accordance with this chapter of the City of Kirkwood Code of Ordinances. (2) No person shall open dump or allow open dumping of any solid waste in locations within the City of Kirkwood for the purpose of transferring or reloading such waste to another vehicle or location except at an authorized waste transfer station licensed by the State of Missouri for such operations. ... § 10-5. Violations and penalties. ... Any person, firm, or corporation who shall violate any provisions of this chapter or shall fail to comply with any requirement thereof shall, upon conviction thereof, be guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable as prescribed in § 1-8 of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Kirkwood.
Full Breakdown
Kirkwood Code of Ordinances § 10-4 makes it unlawful for any person to open dump or allow open dumping of solid waste anywhere in the City of Kirkwood. "Open dumping" is defined in § 10-1 as depositing, releasing, dumping, discarding, throwing, storing, or dropping solid waste on the ground surface or into a body or stream of water. The section carves out two narrow exceptions: clean earth, stone, or brick used for excavation or grading under a valid city grading or excavating permit, and material authorized for deposit at the City of Kirkwood Recycling Depository or for refuse collection under Chapter 10.
Section 10-4 separately bans open dumping for the purpose of transferring or reloading waste to another vehicle or location, unless done at a waste transfer station licensed by the State of Missouri. Enforcement runs through § 10-5, the chapter's violations and penalties provision, which applies to any person, firm, or corporation who violates any provision of Chapter 10 or fails to comply with its requirements.
Violations & Fines
A violation of § 10-4 is a misdemeanor under § 10-5, punishable as prescribed in § 1-8 of the City of Kirkwood Code of Ordinances. Each day a violation continues, or each day of refusal or neglect to comply, is treated as a separate and distinct offense, so an uncleared dump site can generate a new charge daily.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is any dumping of fill dirt allowed in Kirkwood?
What counts as open dumping under Kirkwood's code?
How is illegal dumping punished in Kirkwood?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kirkwood
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Illegal Dumping in Nearby Cities
How other cities in St. Louis County handle illegal dumping.