Valley Stream looks to strengthen dumpster regulations

Having some work done on your home? You’ll still need a permit for that construction and soon you might need a permit for the dumpster, too. Valley Stream trustees will consider a local law on Monday night to regulate the use of temporary dumpsters and other roll-off solid waste containers in the village.

Village Clerk Vinny Ang said the board is considering the law because there are currently limited regulations in the village’s code. He said the village does not have a law to give it “teeth” to enforce safety measures for roll-off containers, nor to ensure that these dumpsters do, in fact, remain temporary.

The proposed law would require a permit from the village for the placement of a dumpster or roll-off container on a street or on private property in Valley Stream. Permits would be available through the Village Clerk’s office for $25. Additionally, if a dumpster is placed on a street, a home or business owner must pay a $500 deposit in case there is any damage to the road or curbs, which would be refundable once the container is removed.

Carting companies must also get a permit to operate within Valley Stream.

The law would restrict the amount of time a dumpster can be in place. Permits for dumpsters to be placed on the street would be good for only seven days, while the limit for private property would be 12 days. Ang said that the permits would be renewable as needed, but the village would not have to grant an extension.

There is a safety concern with dumpsters placed on the street, Ang said, which are sometimes not visible at night if not properly marked. The proposed law details the reflective markings that street dumpsters must have. He said this concern was sparked by accidents that have occurred outside the village, where a car has either hit a dumpster, or swerved to avoid a dumpster and hit another car. “We’re not going to wait for that accident to take place,” he said.

As for dumpsters on private property, Ang said that village officials have gotten calls from people saying that their neighbors have had a dumpster on their property for an excessive period of time. Ang said as the code reads now, the village can’t enforce any time limit.

The law targets dumpster and roll-off containers of at least one ton which are being used for the removal of solid waste. These containers are typically 22 feet long by 8 feet wide, and can be anywhere from 4 feet to 8 feet high.

Ang said he and village trustees understand that there are often needs for a dumpster on private property, such as if there was a fire, or if a home is undergoing a remodeling or renovation. “That’s fine,” he said. “You want to see people investing in their homes. The problem is with these dumpsters, some of them are staying for too long.”

Possible fines would be up to $500 per day for the first offense.