The following provisions shall apply to solid waste disposal under this article:
(1) No owner, occupant, tenant or lessee of any property may deposit, store or permit to accumulate any solid waste upon his property that is not stored or disposed of in a manner prescribed by this article.
(2) The owner, occupant, tenant or lessee of any property shall remove or cause to be removed all solid waste from his property at a frequency rate that will control odor, rodents, and other nuisance conditions. The recommended frequency rate is once per week.
(3) Garbage shall be stored only in containers that are durable, nonabsorbent, nonleaking, and easily cleaned. Containers should have a close fitting, flytight cover in place and adequate handles or bails to facilitate handling. In addition to the containers described in this subsection, solid waste may be stored in other containers that are adequate and suitable receptacles. Garbage placed in receptacles that do not have a flytight cover shall be wrapped, bagged or enclosed in paper or plastic material. Each container shall be kept clean so that no other nuisance condition exists.
(4) Solid waste shall be stored in a manner that will not provide harborage to rodents and vermin and will not create a fire hazard.
(5) No owner, occupant, tenant or lessee of a building or dwelling, other than a licensed salvage and recycling operation, may place or leave or cause to be placed or left outside the building or dwelling, any bulky wastes for longer than one week.
(6) No owner, tenant or lessee of any building or dwelling, may leave outside the building or dwelling, in a place accessible to children, any abandoned or unattended icebox, refrigerator or other receptacle that has an airtight door without first removing the door; provided, however, that any icebox, refrigerator, freezer or other receptacle that has an airtight door, may be securely locked to prevent children from gaining access.
(7) No person may discard, dispose, leave, or dump any solid waste on or along any street or highway or on a public or private property unless such solid waste is placed in a receptacle or at a location designated for the deposit of solid waste.
(8) Construction waste must be disposed of at disposal sites approved and permitted by the department (DENR) or as permitted pursuant to G.S. 130A-301.2.
(9) Regulated medical, hazardous, and radioactive waste must be disposed of according to written procedures approved by the department (DENR).
(10) All sharps must be placed in a sealed, puncture-proof container and disposed of separately from other waste.
(11) Open burning of solid waste is prohibited pursuant to 15A NCAC 20.1903.
(12) It is anticipated that each person in the county will be offered collection service by a municipality, a private solid waste collector, or use one of the county's rural solid waste convenience sites. Any person not using a municipality, private collector, or one of the county's sites, will be required, upon request, for cause or as a result of complaints received by the county, to explain and show to the division or enforcement officer the method and means of disposal of his solid waste and where such waste is being disposed.
(13) No person, solid waste collector, or company shall dump or deposit yard waste, white goods, large volumes of aluminum cans, used oil, whole tires, or lead acid batteries into any county-owned sanitary landfill except as authorized by state and county regulations. Any person found to have done so shall remove such waste immediately upon being requested to do so by a representative of the county. If the person depositing any such waste fails to remove it upon request of the county, the waste will be removed by county representatives and deposited in an appropriate waste management facility. The person who illegally deposited the waste shall be billed by the county for all of its costs incurred in removing, transporting, and properly disposing of the waste from the sanitary landfill.
(14) No person, solid waste collector, or company shall dispose of hazardous or liquid wastes in any county-owned landfill.
(15) No person, solid waste collector, or company shall dispose of solid waste, except by one of the following methods, provided that this section shall not be construed to prevent any person from properly disposing of solid waste from his own residence on his own property in a safe and sanitary manner consistent with this article and state regulations:
a. Sanitary landfill which has been approved by the department of environment and natural resources.
b. Convenience and recycling centers operated by the county for individual households in the county.
c. Incinerators which meet all requirements of the local, state and federal air pollution standards and have been approved by the appropriate state and federal agencies.
d. Construction/demolition landfill approved by appropriate county, state and federal agencies.
e. By any other methods including reclaiming or recycling processes which have been approved by the department (DENR).
A violation of this section is punishable as a misdemeanor.
(Ord. of 10-4-1999, art. VII; Amend. of 12-6-2021)