Commission approves steeper fines for illegal dumping

MIAMI – The Miami-Dade County Commission on Feb. 19 gave final approval to an ordinance sponsored by Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz crack down harder financially on illegal dumping violators.

The ordinance reduces the amount of illegal dumping and general littering subject to a fine while also increasing the fine per violation. Under the proposed legislation, illegal dumping of over 15 pounds would be subject to a $1,000 fine, up from the current $400 for dumping of 100 pounds or more; while illegal dumping of 500 pounds or more would be subject to a $2,500 fine, up from the current $1,000.

“We need to make it clear to violators that we simply will not stand for illegal dumping anymore,” said Commissioner Diaz, who in 2017 sponsored legislation creating the County’s Illegal Dumping Task Force.

In 2019, the County Commission approved three resolutions sponsored by Commissioner Diaz addressing illegal dumping. The resolutions expanded the County’s illegal dumping public awareness campaign, called for a feasibility study on increasing the hours of operation and locations of the County’s Trash and Recycling Centers, and urged the state attorney to sentence criminal probationers to pick up trash on County rights-of-way.