Taxpayer Cost of Litter and Illegal Dumping in Ohio

I Just Gotta Tell Ya

• In 2008 ODOT crews collected nearly 7 Million pounds of Trash and more than 350,000 bags
• Cost to taxpayers= $3.6 million in labor and equipment.
• 11 thousand tons of litter accumulates on Ohio’s road ways each year.

2008 Litter Cleanup

COUNTY    # OF BAGS REMOVED    COST
Ashtabula    1,084                          $23,400
Mahoning    9,073                          $32,600

Portage       5,172                          $44,200

Stark           5,909                         $48,100

Summit      10,894                        $115,800
Trumbull    8,705                         $113,600

District 4 total   40,837               $377,900

Illegal Dumping

• Two of the largest tire dumps in Ohio exist in Portage County, each containing over 1 million tires However, tires constitute only about 10 percent of the cumulative illegally dumped waste in the county, most of which (75 percent) is household refuse.  The costs of trash pickup and landfill disposal contribute to illegal dumping in the county.  Residential trash pickup in the county costs $11.00 to $15.00 per month and is handled by private haulers.  Tires cost an extra $1.00 each.
• Landfill costs have more than tripled in recent years, from $58.00 to $200.00 per roll-off dumpster.
• 70 percent of the illegally dumped waste consists of used tires, 20 percent of commercial waste, and 10 percent of C&D and residential debris.  In the Northeast Ohio GIA, there are approximately 30 large sites with an average of 5,000 tires per site and 1,000 small sites with 2 to 35 tires per site.  Illegal dumping of household waste is not a major problem because the City of Cleveland provides free curbside pickup of most residential wastes and used appliances.
• Automobile gas tanks are not picked up and are therefore sometimes illegally dumped Apprehended dumpers are typically 30- to 45-year-old, poor to middle-class males from a variety of ethnic backgrounds who collect payment to dispose of someone else’s waste and then illegally dump the waste Local officials believe that some large dealers and not just “mom and pop” operations illegally dump tires.  The closest tire monofill is the American Landfill in Warren, Ohio.  Tire disposal costs $59.50 per ton, and 1 ton comprises approximately 200 tires.  Cleveland residents are allowed to leave four tires per week on the curb in front of their homes for curbside pickup.  If tires are disposed of by a tire repair or replacement shop, the customer is generally charged about $3.00 per tire.

• Littering is a serious offense, punishable by fines of up to $500 and 60 days in jail.
• Littering from a motor vehicle can result in fines of up to $100,

Resources:

Ohio Department of Transportation

Keep Ohio Beautiful

Division of Air Pollution Control-Attain and maintain the air quality at a level that will protect the environment for the benefit of all. Phone: (614)644-2270 Website: http://www.epa.state.oh.us/dapc/dapcmain.html

Division of Drinking and Ground Waters-Protect human health and the environment by characterizing and protecting ground water quality and ensuring that Ohio’s public water systems provide adequate supplies of safe drinking water. Our vision is that the citizens of Ohio know that their drinking water, whether it comes from wells or surface water, is safe to drink, and that everyone in the state can easily obtain information about the quality of drinking water and ground water in their area, their region and the entire state. Phone: (614)644-2752 Website: http://www.epa.state.oh.us/ddagw/index.htm

Division of Emergency and Remedial Response-Prevent, respond to, remove and cleanup releases or threats of releases of hazardous waste, hazardous substances and pollutants through compliance monitoring, emergency response, enforcement, and voluntary actions. Our vision is to become distinguished as an economically self-sufficient multi-media team that administers a stream-lined, multi-faceted emergency response and site remediation program as well as an exceptional, pro-active chemical emergency preparedness and prevention program. Website: http://www.epa.state.oh.us/derr/derrmain.html

Division of Hazardous Waste Management-Protect and improve the environment and therefore the health of Ohio’s citizens by promoting pollution prevention and the proper management and cleanup of hazardous waste. We provide quality service to our stakeholders by assisting them in understanding and complying with the hazardous waste management regulations, and by implementing our program effectively. We strive to be recognized as a leader among state hazardous waste management programs through our expertise, effectiveness, application of sound science and delivery of quality service to our stakeholders. Phone: (614)644-2917 Website: http://www.epa.state.oh.us/dhwm/welcome.html

Division of Recycling and Litter Prevention-The Division of Recycling and Litter Prevention (DRLP) is responsible for implementing statewide waste reduction, recycling, recycling market development and litter prevention programs. In addition, DRLP assists in implementing Ohio’s Solid Waste Management Plan and encourages Ohioans to reduce waste, recycle materials and buy recycled-content products.

Phone: (614)265-6333 Website: http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/recycling

Ohio Environmental Protection Agency-Protect the environment and public health by ensuring compliance with environmental laws and demonstrating leadership in environmental stewardship. Ohio EPA cooperates with government and private agencies, manages some federally funded pollution control projects, obtains technical and laboratory services, establishes advisory boards, investigates environmental problems, and disseminates information on environmental programs. The director also authorizes enforcement actions against violators of pollution laws and regulations. For online assistance please write info-request@www.epa.state.oh.us

Phone: (614)644-3020
Website: http://www.epa.state.oh.us