Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
Q&A
Council Member Abreu questions DSNY on illegal dumping and litter basket misuse
2:06:47
·
111 sec
Council Member Shaun Abreu, on behalf of Council Member Sanchez, questions Acting Commissioner Javier Lojan of the NYC Department of Sanitation about illegal dumping and litter basket misuse. The discussion covers the definition of illegal dumping, DSNY's approach to household trash dumping in public baskets, and the department's enforcement strategies.
- Illegal dumping is defined as dumping from a vehicle that's one cubic yard or more
- DSNY is shifting focus to address improper use of litter baskets, including issuing $100 fines
- The department distinguishes between illegal dumping (from vehicles) and improper disposal (household trash in public baskets)
Shaun Abreu
2:06:47
I wanted to ask questions on behalf of council member Sanchez since she can't join us today.
2:06:53
Can you can you define illegal dumping?
2:06:56
Is this just dumping that comes from a vehicle, or is that term broader?
2:07:05
Okay.
2:07:06
Second, what term does DSNY use for folks who dump household and other trash at baskets and random locations?
2:07:14
What is the SMY's approach to this to this problem?
2:08:00
Would the department consider that type of behavior to be like fall within an illegal dumping or it's just interesting that one is called illegal dumping and the other isn't and it all seems like it's illegal dumping.
2:08:31
That's fair.
2:08:32
Commissioner, your staff, wanna thank you for coming to testify today.
2:08:37
You are hereby excused.
2:08:38
Thank you.
Javier Lojan
2:07:01
Any dumping that occurs from a vehicle that's one cubic yard or more.
2:07:17
So we do I I actually have directed my enforcement division to shift focus on that because we are getting like I mentioned previously that when we see overflowing litter basket complaints, one of the issues are people improperly using the baskets.
2:07:32
So I have shifted my enforcement division to look into that and focus that.
2:07:36
We are able to write violations, which is a hundred dollar fine for anybody that we observe, you know, putting household trash or commercial waste in the litter basket.
2:07:46
Obviously, you know, education is key, so we may, you know, do warnings first.
2:07:52
So that would be our approach to that kind of issue, but we are focusing that more, shifting focus for now.
2:08:15
Yeah, but it's defined by law.
2:08:17
I mean, one bag is more of an improper disposal, and that's where the fine comes from.
2:08:22
And then any illegal dumping from a vehicle, I guess the intent is really more taken into account there from a vehicle over a one cubic yard is where that line is defined.