Vanderburgh County, IN Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- County Code § 8.08.020
- Offense level
- Class B misdemeanor
- Fine range
- $250 to $2,500 per violation
- Continuing violation
- Each day is a separate offense
- Enforcement agency
- Vanderburgh County Health Department
Summary
Vanderburgh County Code § 8.08.020 bars dumping solid waste onto public or private property, streets, or waterways unless the site is a permitted solid waste facility. Violators face a Class B misdemeanor charge and a fine between $250 and $2,500 per violation, with each day of continued violation counted separately under § 8.08.060.
No person shall cause, allow, or be legally responsible for the storage, processing, open burning, disposal, deposition, dumping, leakage, or spillage of solid waste or any objectionable or regulated materials onto public or private property, street, thoroughfare, stream or lake unless such property is a solid waste facility operating under and within permits or approvals granted by the appropriate state and local agencies including, but not limited to, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, the Department of Natural Resources, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Vanderburgh County solid waste management district, and the area plan commission of Vanderburgh County. ... 1. May be charged with a Class B misdemeanor and/or subject to a fine of not less than two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00) and not more than two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500.00) for each violation; 2. Each day a violation exists shall be considered a separate violation.
Full Breakdown
020, "Unauthorized disposal prohibited," makes it unlawful for any person to "cause, allow, or be legally responsible for the storage, processing, open burning, disposal, deposition, dumping, leakage, or spillage of solid waste or any objectionable or regulated materials onto public or private property, street, thoroughfare, stream or lake," unless the site is a solid waste facility operating with permits or approvals from agencies including the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, the Department of Natural Resources, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Vanderburgh County Solid Waste Management District, and the Area Plan Commission.
040 and may issue citations, sue in Vanderburgh Circuit Court to enjoin ongoing dumping, or enter noncompliant property to abate the condition after giving interest holders a reasonable chance to fix it, with abatement costs becoming a lien on the property. 060 sets the penalty: a Class B misdemeanor and/or a fine of not less than $250 and not more than $2,500 for each violation, with every day a violation continues treated as a separate offense, plus court costs and legal fees. The Health Department may accept payment of a monetary penalty directly, before litigation, if it decides that is in the county's interest rather than pursuing a higher penalty in court.
050 gives a landowner whose property was dumped on without consent the right to recover cleanup expenses plus court costs and legal fees from the person responsible, independent of any county enforcement action.
Violations & Fines
A Chapter 8.08 dumping violation is a Class B misdemeanor carrying a fine of $250 to $2,500 per violation under § 8.08.060, with each day the dumped material remains treated as a new violation. The county may also sue to enjoin the dumping, enter the property to abate it and lien the cost, and the Health Department may settle a penalty pre-litigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as illegal dumping in Vanderburgh County?
How much is the fine for illegal dumping?
Can a landowner recover cleanup costs if someone dumps on their land?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Vanderburgh County
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