§ 2201. Throwing, depositing, burning, and dumping refuse; penalty; summons and complaint
(a)(1) Prohibition. Every person shall be responsible for proper disposal of his or her own solid waste.
A person shall not throw, dump, deposit, or cause or permit to be thrown, dumped,
or deposited any solid waste as defined in 10 V.S.A. § 6602, refuse of whatever nature, or any noxious thing in or on lands or waters of the
State outside a solid waste management facility certified by the Agency of Natural
Resources.
(2) There shall be a rebuttable presumption that a person who is identifiable from an
examination of illegally disposed solid waste is the person who violated a provision
of this section.
(3) No person shall burn or cause to be burned in the open or incinerate in any container,
furnace, or other device any solid waste without:
(A) first having obtained all necessary permits from the Agency of Natural Resources,
the District Environmental Commission, and the municipality where the burning is to
take place; and
(B) complying with all relevant State and local regulations and ordinances.
(b) Prosecution of violations. A person who violates a provision of this section commits a civil violation and shall
be subject to a civil penalty of not more than $800.00.
(1) This violation shall be enforceable in the Judicial Bureau pursuant to the provisions
of 4 V.S.A. chapter 29 in an action that may be brought by a municipal attorney, a solid waste management
district attorney, an environmental enforcement officer employed by the Agency of
Natural Resources, a designee of the legislative body of the municipality, or any
duly authorized law enforcement officer.
(2) If the throwing, placing, or depositing was done from a snowmobile, vessel, or motor
vehicle, except a motor bus, there shall be a rebuttable presumption that the throwing,
placing, or depositing was done by the operator of the snowmobile, vessel, or motor
vehicle.
(3) Nothing in this section shall be construed as affecting the operation of an automobile
graveyard or salvage yard as defined in section 2241 of this title, nor shall anything in this section be construed as prohibiting the installation
and use of appropriate receptacles for solid waste provided by the State or towns.
(c) Roadside cleanup. A person found in violation of this section may be assigned to spend up to 80 hours
collecting trash or litter from a specified segment of roadside or from a specified
area of public property.
(d) [Repealed.]
(e) Revocation of hunting, fishing, or trapping license. The Commissioner of Fish and Wildlife shall revoke the privilege of a person found
in violation of this section from holding a hunting, fishing, or trapping license
for a period of one year from the date of the conviction, if the person fails to pay
the penalty set forth in subsection (b) of this section. The Bureau shall immediately
notify the Commissioner of Fish and Wildlife of the entry of judgment.
(f) [Repealed.]
(g) Amendment of complaint. A person authorized to enforce this section may amend or dismiss a complaint issued
by that person by marking the complaint and returning it to the Judicial Bureau. At
the hearing, a person authorized to enforce this section may amend or dismiss a complaint
issued by that person, subject to the approval of the hearing judge.
(h) [Repealed.]
(i) Applicability. Enforcement actions taken under this section shall in no way preclude the Agency of
Natural Resources, the Attorney General, or an appropriate State prosecutor from initiating
other or further enforcement actions under the civil, administrative, or criminal
enforcement provisions of 10 V.S.A. chapter 23, 47, 159, 201, or 211. To the extent that enforcement under this section is by an environmental enforcement
officer employed by the Agency of Natural Resources, enforcement under this section
shall preclude other enforcement by the Agency for the same offence.
(j) Definitions. As used in this section:
(1) “Motor vehicle” shall have the same meaning as in 23 V.S.A. § 4(21).
(2) “Snowmobile” shall have the same meaning as in 23 V.S.A. § 3801.
(3) “Vessel” means motor boats, boats, kayaks, canoes, sailboats, and all other types
of watercraft.
(4) “Waters” shall have the same meaning as in 10 V.S.A. § 1251(13). (Amended 1961, No. 164, eff. June 14, 1961; 1965, No. 62, eff. May 19, 1965; 1967, No. 90, § 1, eff. July 1, 1969; 1969, No. 287 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1970; 1971, No. 245 (Adj. Sess.), §§ 1, 2, eff. April 6, 1972; 1989, No. 286 (Adj. Sess.), § 4; 1999, No. 63, § 3; 1999, No. 160 (Adj. Sess.), § 29; 2005, No. 23, § 1; 2009, No. 56, § 3; 2013, No. 117 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; 2017, No. 93 (Adj. Sess.), § 22; 2017, No. 130 (Adj. Sess.), § 15.)