Trash haulers caught dumping non-local garbage at Worcester County’s landfill could face stiff fines or even a one-year suspension, under a new set of landfill rules approved this week by county officials.
The Worcester County Commissioners unanimously approved new penalties for commercial carriers caught disposing of out-of-county waste at the county’s central landfill in Newark. Hauling companies will be notified about the penalties through mail, public notices, and social media posts.
According to Public Works Director Dallas Baker, county landfill crews have seen a “noticeable uptick” in the volume of out-of-area trash. Spot checks – meaning, someone rips open a trash bag and checks for locational identifiers like discarded mail – have shown a portion of this increase is from non-local trash.
Baker says he’s planning to start new, more rigorous spot checks for trucks entering the landfill. Upon arrival they’ll pull to the side, dump their contents, and let county landfill staffers pore through trash bags for identifying factors – which also prevents a trucker from trying to blame another driver for a violation.
They’ll take photos and collect evidence if the violation is challenged and ends up in court. Violators can either pay a fine or appear in District Court to appeal, a process that follows the same legal path as a zoning violation or animal control citations, according to county attorney Roscoe Leslie.
and where is wicomico on this, tired of seeing out of state plates going in and out of the landfill!