Solid Waste Management Program

Dumping is Illegal!

Abandoned piles of household garbage, bags of yard waste, discarded appliances, old barrels, used tires and demolition debris can threaten the health of humans, wildlife and the environment. These open dump sites can be found throughout Missouri at the bottom of ravines, in empty lots and pastures, and along roadsides. These are illegal disposal sites. If allowed to remain, they often grow larger and attract more dumping by others.

Open dumps create a public nuisance, divert land from more productive uses and depress the value of surrounding land. They can also pose the following health, safety and environmental threats:

• Fire and explosion
• Injury to children playing in or around the dump site
• Disease carried by mosquitoes, flies and rodents
• Contamination of streams, rivers and lakes
• Contamination of soil and groundwater
• Contamination of drinking water wells
• Damage to plant and wildlife habitats
• Decrease in the quality of life to nearby communities and residents

How to Report Illegal Dumping

Causing or allowing open dumping is illegal and may result in substantial penalties. Report open dumping to your local authorities. They can enforce any local laws and ordinances that prohibit open dumping. They can also work with the state to enforce state laws that prohibit dumping.

The Department of Natural Resources is committed to investigating citizen reports of illegal dumping of Solid Waste. Complaint investigators are located in each of our Regional Office. While not every complaint can be solved quickly, we are committed to investigating promptly and taking appropriate action.

You may also file a complaint online via the Illegal Dumping Complaint Report Form which is offered below.  When the form is received by the department, it will be forwarded to the appropriate Regional Office for investigation.

You are encouraged to provide as much information as possible about the dump, including a detailed description and information about its location (county, address, driving directions, etc.). We will also need information about the owner of the property where the dump is located. This information will help to expedite our investigation process.

You may remain anonymous.  We only ask for your identity so we can contact you in case we need more information to investigate your complaint and to provide you with information on the results of our investigation.  Despite the best intentions, anonymous complaints often do not provide enough information to pursue the complaint properly.  If you wish to remain anonymous and do not provide enough information, we will be unable to investigate your complaint. 

To report illegal dumping use our online form.  Complete the form and return it in any of the following ways: 

• Hit the submit key on the form itself,
• Print the form and fax it to 573-526-3902, or
• Call 573-751-5401 or 800-361-4827.

Online Illegal Dumping Videos

The department uses surveillance cameras at dumpsites across Missouri to combat illegal dumping. The goal is to educate people and provide alternative options, such as obtaining commercial trash service or using a permitted landfill, transfer station or recycling facility for environmentally sound disposal.