Houston City Council member Alejandra Salinas introduced an ordinance to combat illegal construction waste dumping.
A closer look
The new ordinance, called Keep Houston Clean, would require those managing construction, demolition and renovation projects to submit proof of lawful waste disposal after construction ends.
The ordinance would establish two requirements for covered projects, to be met before and after construction.
Before construction, those responsible for the project would be required to submit a waste management plan that identifies how and where construction debris will be lawfully disposed of. This would occur before they receive a permit.
After construction, project leaders would be responsible for providing proof of lawful disposal, such as landfill receipts or weight tickets, to receive a certificate of occupancy or final inspection approval.
What residents should know
According to Salinas’ office, Houston residents have filed over 18,000 illegal dumping complaints to 311 in the past two years, with 92% of the calls coming from ZIP codes where Black or Latino residents make up the majority of the population.
“If you want to build in Houston, you should have to prove your waste was disposed of legally,” Salinas said. “This ordinance establishes that commonsense standard and gives the City stronger tools to prevent illegal dumping and hold violators accountable.”
The requirements would apply to building permits for projects with more than 1,400 square feet of new, added, or remodeled floor area, as well as commercial and demolition projects of all sizes.
To streamline compliance, the city would provide a standardized waste management form, an educational checklist and a public directory of licensed disposal facilities and waste haulers.
One more thing
Council Members Tarsha Jackson, Mario Castillo and Edward Pollard, who represent some of the districts most affected by illegal dumping, co-signed the ordinance introduced through Proposition A.
The ordinance is expected to be considered by City Council in November.
