Lexington County weighs new solid-waste rules and reports a small decline in litter in 2024

Lexington County solid-waste staff presented a set of proposed ordinance updates at the Public Works committee and separately summarized 2024 litter-control activity, including enforcement measures planned for late April.

Major proposed ordinance changes under discussion included: a prohibition on accumulation of waste at residences for more than seven days; a prohibition on transporting uncovered loads (noting an overlapping state regulation); authority to enforce tipping-fee collection when a user leaves the landfill without paying; a requirement that users at collection centers place items where attendants direct them; a requirement that curbside household waste be returned to a provided vendor container (to accommodate automated side-load trucks); a requirement that yard waste be placed in a vendor-provided container; and a possible trailer-length limit for convenience-collection centers (staff suggested roughly 10–12 feet as a starting point).

Staff said the changes are intended to modernize county rules to reflect current hauling equipment and industry practice (for example, automated side‑load trucks) and to reduce repetitive contractor use of convenience centers. Staff also proposed additional on-site signage showing the developer/contractor/engineer contact information, clearer enforcement language including stop-work authority and possible daily civil penalties, and technology options to track frequent users at collection centers (license-plate recognition was discussed, with the observation that trailers commonly lack tags and that windshield decals or scanning would be needed to track trailer users).

Committee members and staff also discussed operational matters: collection-center staffing, enforcement practicalities, and how to target contractors who use convenience centers despite rules prohibiting contractor dumping. Staff proposed a public hearing on the ordinance updates before moving forward.

Litter-control report (2024) Staff also presented the county’s 2024 litter-control statistics and outreach. Highlights included 895 warnings, 35 tickets written, and deputies and county crews removing approximately 10,280 pounds of material during routine enforcement visits. Babcock Center crews working at county collection centers removed 317 bags (about 8,000 pounds) in quarterly cleanups supported by a $20,000 annual allocation (actual costs typically run $13,000–$15,000). County and partner volunteers and nonprofits reported thousands of hours of volunteer work; combined volunteer/staff hours reported totaled tens of thousands of hours and an estimated 94,000 pounds of litter collected in 2024 by county crew, volunteers and partners.

As part of an ongoing “zero tolerance” tarping campaign, staff distributed more than 2,100 tarps during a month‑long outreach program and held an enforcement week with the Lexington County Sheriff’s Office; during the campaign month staff collected 254 bags and 180 tires and removed 51 tons of bulk litter via the county’s boom truck. Staff said the county’s enforcement week will run the week of April 26–May 2 and encouraged residents to report illegal dumping through the county email and the Palmetto Pride hotline.

Committee members pressed staff about enforcement: tickets are rare relative to warnings, deputies are not exclusively focused on litter enforcement, and some members urged stronger ticketing and tracking measures. Staff recommended public hearings before changing ordinance language and said they would return with drafted text and more detail on implementation and enforcement tools.