Solid Waste Program

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I file an illegal dumping complaint?

To report Illegal Dumping in the unincorporated county, call Sacramento County 311 Connect at (916) 875-4311 or 311.

To report illegal dumping in the City of Sacramento, call (916) 264-5011, or visit the City's Neighborhood Code page.

I got a letter about illegal dumping on my property, now what do I do?

It is the responsibility of the property owner to remove any illegally dumped material from their property to a permitted disposal site. You can search for a permitted disposal site and transfer/processing facilitity.

If your property is the site of repeated illegal dumping, then you must secure the site against unauthorized entry.

If you have a question about a letter you received from Sacramento County Environmental Management Department regarding illegal dumping on your property call (916) 875-8550 and ask to speak to personnel on the Illegal Dumping team.

What’s the difference between a Solid Waste Facility and a Recycling Center?

Solid Waste Facilities include active and closed landfills, transfer/processing facilities, composting facilities, chip and grind facilities, and construction/demolition/inert debris facilities. Solid waste facilities are regulated by the Local Enforcement Agency (LEA) under Title 14 and Title 27 of the California Code of Regulations, receive routine inspections, and require a permit or notification from the LEA.

Recycling Centers do not require a permit or notification from the LEA, but they must meet the “three part test.” The three part test requires that the received material must be separated for re-use prior to receipt, it must not contain more than 10% residual solid waste material by weight, and it may not contain more than 1% putrescible material. The burden of proof to demonstrate compliance with the three part test is on the Operator.

How do I file a complaint about a solid waste facility or recycling center?

If you have a complaint about a solid waste facility or if you have reason to believe that a recycling center is not meeting the three-part test (see FAQ 03), please contact an LEA Specialist at (916) 875-8550.

Although the Sacramento County LEA program regulates a variety of solid waste facilities within Sacramento County, LEAs do not typically regulate recycling facilities. Recycling facilities are regulated by Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle). Consumers who have questions or complaints about any recycling center state-wide may call 1-800-RECYCLE.

To report nuisance concerns at recycling centers in the unincorporated county, call Sacramento County 311 Connect at (916) 875-4311 or 311 or initiate a complaint on-line.

To report nuisance conditions at recycling centers in the City of Sacramento, call (916) 264-5011, or visit City of Sacramento 311.

How do I get a permit to operate a solid waste facility?

There are multiple permit types (Composting, Disposal, Transfer/Processing, Construction/Demolition/Inert Debris) and regulatory tiers (Full, Standard, Registration, Notification) associated with solid waste activities. Your LEA Specialist will help you determine the appropriate permit for your facility. To start the permitting process in Sacramento County, call (916) 875-8550 and ask to speak with an LEA/Solid Waste Specialist.

An application form and a fee must be submitted to the Environmental Management Department prior to LEA review of a solid waste project. The application fee for new full permit solid waste facilities and revised permits is 25 hours at the current hourly rate. The application fee for new registration facilities, notification operations, or other projects is 10 hours at the current hourly rate. Your LEA Specialist will guide you through the application process.

Review information on the permitting process and the regulatory tiers for solid waste activities.

Who’s responsible for maintaining a closed landfill?

Post closure maintenance for the purposes of reducing impacts to health and safety, must be conducted by the operator or owner to ensure the integrity of the final cover and environmental control systems. The landfill shall be maintained and monitored for a period of not less than thirty (30) years after the completion of closure of the entire solid waste landfill.

Maintenance and monitoring shall include, but not be limited to, site security and gas monitoring and control system maintenance, as specified in the final closure and post closure maintenance plans. It should be noted that per 27CCR, Section 21200, an owner or operator of a disposal site who plans to sell, transfer or convey the ownership or operation of the disposal site to a new owner or operator shall notify EA and CalRecycle 45 days prior to the anticipated transfer of title.

Environmental Management