Ottawa County, MI Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing law
- Ottawa County Environmental Health Regs, Art. XIV § H
- Banned
- Depositing refuse on roadway, alley, waterway, property
- Enforcement
- Civil citation or misdemeanor appearance ticket
- Misdemeanor penalty
- Up to $200 fine, 90 days jail
- Civil penalty
- $100 first offense, doubled after
- State law layer
- Michigan solid waste statutes, Act 451 of 1994
Summary
Ottawa County's Environmental Health Regulations make it unlawful to deposit refuse on any roadway, street, alley, waterway or property, public or private. Article XIV, Section H layers this local dumping ban on top of the state's solid waste statutes, and a violation can bring either a misdemeanor charge or an escalating civil citation from the Health Department.
H. Solid Waste Control - It shall be unlawful for any person to accumulate upon their premises any refuse except in containers of rodent/fly proof, durable, and watertight construction. ... It shall be unlawful for any person to deposit any refuse upon, on, into any roadway, street, alley, waterway or property, public or private. ... G. State Laws, Rules, and Regulations - This Article incorporates by reference the statutes of the State of Michigan relating to the storage, transportation, and disposal of solid waste, the same being Act 451, P.A. 1994, as amended... Any person violating any such statute, rule, or regulation may be issued a civil citation and/or a misdemeanor appearance ticket.
Full Breakdown
" The same section also bars accumulating refuse except in rodent- and fly-proof containers, and bans any deposit of solid waste that, by its character or improper storage, could breed flies, mosquitoes or rodents. " Section I directs the Health Officer to enforce the Ottawa County Solid Waste Management Plan against illegal disposal as well. Under Article V, a violation of the Regulations is a misdemeanor punishable by up to $200 and 90 days in jail, with each day of continuing violation counted as a separate offense.
The Health Officer can instead issue a written civil citation stating the section violated, the penalty and the right to appeal; the standard civil penalty is $100 for a first offense and doubles for a second citation on the same violation. A person served a civil citation can petition for an administrative hearing with the Health Officer, and from there seek review at the Ottawa County Circuit Court.
Violations & Fines
Depositing refuse on a road, alley, waterway or property is a misdemeanor under Article V, Section A: up to $200 and 90 days in jail, with each additional day a separate offense. The Health Officer can instead issue a civil citation carrying a $100 penalty that doubles on a second citation for the same violation, delivered within 90 days of discovery and appealable within the timeframe Article V, Section D sets.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is dumping trash on private land also illegal in Ottawa County?
What's the penalty for illegal dumping in Ottawa County?
Who enforces the dumping ban, the county or the state?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ottawa County
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