skip to main content
Metropolitan King County Council
516 Third Ave., Rm. 1200
Seattle, WA 98104
Phone: 206-296-1000
Toll Free: 800-325-6165
TTY/TDD: 206-296-1024
Fax: 206-296-0198

council@kingcounty.gov
Banner with councilmember headshots
Oct. 6, 2008

Dunn and Sims propose waiving the landfill fees for victims of illegal dumping

Next step in Dunn’s illegal dumping initiative would provide incentives for owners to clean up properties

Metropolitan King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn wants to ensure that those who have to clean up the mess from illegal dumping on their property won’t have to pay for it when they haul it to the dump. He introduced legislation today that would waive the fees for taking such refuse to county transfer stations.

Working with County Executive Ron Sims on the second part of their illegal dumping initiative, Dunn’s legislation aims to help owners clean up their properties by having the King County Solid Waste Division waive the tipping fees when owners can prove they were the victim of an illegal dumping. Such fees range from a minimum of $17.25 up to $82 per ton.

“We know we can’t catch everyone who breaks the law, so we need to help the victims—especially those victims that can’t afford the cost of disposing of the trash that someone else dumped on their property,” said Councilmember Dunn. “It’s important that these sites are cleaned up quickly so they don’t become public health risks. Helping people with their fees will encourage them to get it cleaned up.”

“This ordinance will provide us with another important tool in our fight against illegal dumping,” said Executive Sims. “In the past we have successfully used fee waivers to facilitate cleanup after natural disasters, and this legislation uses the same incentives to clean up illegal dumping and improve the quality of life in King County.”

In August, Councilmember Dunn and Executive Sims introduced legislation toughening penalties on offenders and requiring illegal dumpers to pay higher fees for restitution, with a portion of that payment going to the property owner whose land had been used as a dump. The ordinance introduced today by Dunn focuses on property owners whose land is dumped upon where no offender can be found.

Illegal dumping sites can attract rats and can become a breeding ground for disease. In 2006 and 2007, illegal dumping reports in King County numbered in the hundreds. However, actual numbers may be much higher due to the low percentage of dump sites that are actually reported.