City Councilwoman Linda Lee announced an initiative addressing illegal dumping sites across her eastern Queens district. This initiative marks the third in Lee’s Spring Cleaning Series, aimed at restoring and beautifying District 23.
Lee is asking those in the community to help identify areas in the district where illegal dumping may be occurring and inform her office. The Department of Sanitation would then be sent to clean up the site.
“Illegal dumping turns our green spaces into eyesores and attracts pests to our communities, posing health hazards to us all,” Lee said. “Each and every one of us not only has a responsibility to not dump garbage in public but also to report illegal dumping and take steps to clean it up.”
Lee’s previous two initiatives involved partnering with the Queens Economic Development Corporation to clean graffiti from public spaces and businesses and the Association of Community Employment Programs for the Homeless (ACE) to clean litter from public and green spaces. As of May 2, 20 locations within the district have been cleaned.
The third initiative will target materials and debris left on the street, lot, public space, park or other publicly or privately owned areas within the district. Vehicle owners and drivers are legally responsible for any dumping involving a vehicle and face fines ranging from $4,000 to $18,000. Those who successfully report an illegal dumper would be rewarded with up to half of the collected fine.
Property managers and owners have the responsibility of removing small amounts of trash dumped on public sidewalks next to their property. They are responsible even if they filed a report.
