New law makes litter a ticketable offense

Environment Minister Kevin Aylward announced today that the province has passed an amendment to the Waste Material Disposal Act that makes it a ticketable offence for anyone to litter in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The minister said the amendment, which received Royal Assent on December 21, 1995, will go a long way in getting people to think about the consequences of careless disposal oflitter. "By enacting this new legislation, we are sending a clear signal that the practice of littering will no longer be tolerated in this province and will now be punishable by fine or imprisonment," he said.

The Waste Material Disposal Act now says that "a person who deposits waste material in the form of litter other than at a waste material disposal site ...unless the litter is disposed of in a receptacle or container placed or located specifically for the purpose of collection is guilty of an offence and liable on a summary conviction." A first offence will bring a fine of $25 or two days in jail and a second or subsequent offence brings a fine of $100 or seven days in jail.

Charges may be laid by the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary (RNC) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and, the minister said, the ticketing has already begun. "I understand that charges have been laid in at least two cases so far, and I expect we will see an increase as we move into spring and summer when people spend more time out of doors," the minister said.

The minister said that public opinion was the impetus for this decision. "Wherever there has been a public discussion about environmental concerns, the problem of litter has been raised," he said. "By enacting this legislation we are taking a strong, positive step toward eliminating unsightly litter from our communities and taking one more important step in protecting our environment."

Teddy Ryan, Director of Public Relations, (709) 729�2575.1996 03 08