The Black Hawk County Solid Waste Management Commission’s Policy regarding Covered Loads states that “ALL loads must be transported inside of a closed vehicle OR covered 100% with a tarp, tied down, and secured in all areas, from the point of origin.”
This policy applies to all individual and commercial loads. Read the full policy for information about non-compliance fees at the Black Hawk County Sanitary Landfill.
Customers must follow all landfill policies and pay all associated fees. Prior approval is required for Special wastes.
Keeping Our Local Roadways and Ditches Clean with Covered Loads
The Black Hawk County Solid Waste Management Commission’s Covered Loads Policy was adopted to supplement existing state laws and local ordinances, in order to reduce the potential for accidents and roadside litter as loose items could fall or blow from vehicles in transit to the landfill.
State Code of Iowa: 321.460 Spilling loads on highways:
“A vehicle shall not be driven or moved on any highway by any person unless such vehicle is so constructed or loaded or the load securely covered as to prevent any of its load from dropping, sifting, leaking, or otherwise escaping or its load covering from dropping from the vehicle…”
City of Waterloo Ordinance: 4-3A-4: RULES AND REGULATIONS: Transporting Waste Materials:
“No person shall haul, transport or otherwise convey any garbage, rubbish, trash, waste, building material, tree or shrubbery branches or limbs, or any other waste material within the city unless the same is contained in covered receptacles or is otherwise secured either to or within the vehicle so that such material does not fall off or blow off or out of the vehicle hauling the same. In the event any of the material falls off, blows off or out of the vehicle, the person hauling the same shall clean up all of the waste material.”
City of Cedar Falls Ordinance: Sec. 12-12. A. – Transport of waste material:
“No person shall haul, transport or otherwise convey any garbage, rubbish, trash, refuse, yard waste, building material, tree or shrubbery branches or limbs or other waste material within the city unless the material is contained in covered receptacles or is otherwise secured either to or within the vehicle so that the garbage, rubbish, trash, yard waste, building material, tree or shrubbery branches or limbs or other waste material does not fall off or blow off or out of the vehicle hauling the material. If any of the garbage, rubbish, trash, waste, building material, tree or shrubbery branches or limbs or other waste material falls off or blows off or out of the vehicle, the person hauling the material shall clean up all of the waste material.”
Littering and Illegal Dumping
Depending on the volume/weight of material discarded, dropped materials may also fall under the State of Iowa’s laws regarding illegal dumping.
State Code of Iowa: 455B.307A Discarding of solid waste – prohibitions – penalty
House File 2385: In April 2016, this Act was passed relating to littering and illegal dumping and modifying penalties.
2013 Iowa Roadside Litter Survey from Keep Iowa Beautiful
2020 National Litter Study from Keep America Beautiful
To report illegal dumping or littering:
- Contact the Code Enforcement or Sanitation department for your city
- Call the Keep Iowa Beautiful hotline 1-888-NOLITTR (1-888-665-4887). The hotline offers options to report littering and illegal dumping, as well as information on how to adopt a roadway, park, river, lake or other public area, and how you can help to Keep Iowa Beautiful.
- The Iowa Department of Natural Resources Field Services and Compliance Bureau has Field Stations to assist with issues involving illegal dumping and improper disposal of hazardous materials.
