Lewis County, WA Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- LCC § 8.15.040
- Designated sites
- Centralia, Morton transfer stations
- Max fine
- $250 per day
- Max jail
- 90 days
- Each day
- A separate violation
- Enforcing officials
- Director, Sheriff, prosecuting attorney
Summary
Dumping solid waste anywhere in unincorporated Lewis County besides a designated transfer station, landfill, or exempt site violates LCC § 8.15.040. County officials treat the disposal site itself as a public nuisance they can sue to abate under § 8.15.140, and each day of noncompliance is a separate offense under § 8.15.130.
§ 8.15.040. Unlawful disposal of solid waste. It is unlawful for any person to dump or deposit or permit the dumping or depositing of any solid waste onto or under the ground or into any waters within the unincorporated areas of the county except at a disposal site that has been designated pursuant to LCC § 8.15.030 or exempted pursuant to LCC § 8.15.080, as amended from time to time ... ... § 8.15.130. Violation - Penalties. (1) Any person who knowingly fails to comply with LCC § 8.15.040, § 8.15.070, or § 8.15.110 ... shall be subject to the penalties in LCC § 1.20.020 and § 1.20.040. ... (2) Each violation or day of noncompliance shall constitute a separate violation. ... ... § 8.15.140. Public nuisance. ... Any violation of LCC § 8.15.030(3), § 8.15.040, § 8.15.070, and § 8.15.110 is hereby declared to be a public nuisance.
Full Breakdown
030(4) designates the sole authorized disposal sites: the Centralia and Morton transfer stations, the moderate hazardous waste facility, and drop boxes the community services director designates from time to time. 040 carves out one exception: a person may dump solid waste from his own activities onto or under his own land if that otherwise complies with all applicable law, but dumping onto or under any ground or into any waters without that narrow consent is unlawful. 080 separately exempts specific activities from the whole article, such as auto wrecking yards with permits, depositing fewer than 2,000 cubic yards of inert fill like soil or broken concrete, spreading agricultural waste as fertilizer, permitted sewage sludge and hazardous waste disposal, private industrial landfills included in the county plan, and source-separated recycling, composting, or wood-waste processing facilities. 120).
Violations & Fines
Each day of illegal dumping is a separate violation under LCC § 8.15.130(2), carrying the § 1.20.020(4) misdemeanor penalty of up to $250 per day or up to 90 days in jail, on top of a public-nuisance abatement action the prosecuting attorney can bring under § 8.15.140 to force cleanup and enjoin further dumping.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I dump yard debris on my own land in unincorporated Lewis County?
Where can I legally dispose of solid waste in unincorporated Lewis County?
What's the penalty for illegal dumping?
Does the county exempt any dumping activities?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lewis County
Compare Lewis County to another location·View the Washington trash & recycling overview
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