Council adopts ordinance to target proliferation of illegal dumping

The Common Council today (Tuesday, July 15), unanimously adopted file #250138 – an ordinance relating to marking waste tires. Introduced by Alderwoman Andrea M. Pratt, the ordinance changes the timeframe for marking waste tires received by a recycling, salvaging or towing licensee. Currently, waste tires must be marked with the letters “RST” and the licensee’s license number within 5 days after the tires are received at the licensee’s premises. The ordinance changes this by specifying that tires must be immediately marked upon receipt at the licensee’s premises.

“Illegal dumping, particularly of tires, has been a longstanding problem in the city that poses environmental risks in addition to just being a nuisance and blight on neighborhoods,” said Alderwoman Pratt. “Tires dumped on lots or other inappropriate spaces are usually not marked as they should be, so they cannot be traced back to a specific shop. By making sure tires are marked immediately upon receipt, bad actors can be held accountable for this unacceptable behavior.”

This ordinance follows previous Council action to increase the forfeiture for illegal dumping from a range of $1,500 – $5,000 to a flat amount of $5,000. Residents can visit milwaukee.gov/DNSPrograms/Dumping to learn more on how to report illegal dumping.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.