Jonathan Gordon

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Aug 13, 2024, 12:25 PM

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Updated

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Westchester's parks system is one of the largest and most used in the area, but there's been an uptick in people using the parks as a dumping ground for anything and everything.

The county Board of Legislators proposed an update to the current illegal dumping law to increase fines on offenders and allow the county's solid waste commission to seize professional licenses of those caught violating the law. Right now, fines vary by municipality in the low thousands or tens of thousands. This law would slap fines as high as $100,000 on repeat offenders.

The issue came forward following community complaints of excessive trash dumped at Tibbetts Brook Park in Yonkers. Parkgoers found tires, mattresses, household appliances and construction debris littering the greenspaces they love and use every day. This park is in Westchester Legislator David Tubiolo's district.

"This is something that I care about, he said. "It's not just a health issue, but it is an environmental issue. It's also a safety issue, and this is something that's really against the community, and we are taking action to stop it and protect everyone."

Officials said the majority of offenders are licensed contractors dumping after work or landlords clearing out apartments before new tenants move in. Some are even coming up from the Bronx.

Legislators said the biggest reason people illegally dump trash in parks is that they are unlikely to get caught and the punishments are relatively lenient. While it may seem like a harmless crime, illegal dumping causes health risks and higher taxes to cover the costs of cleaning up affected areas.

Looking ahead, the county wants to go from deterrent to prevention. A future capital project would install license plate readers and cameras at all county-operated parks to catch potential violations.

A public hearing on this law change is set for Monday, Sept. 16 at 7:30 p.m. at the Westchester County legislative chambers.