Houses Passes the New Litter Bill

The state House of Delegates passed the litter bill by a 95 to 3 vote. The legislation would raise the possible fine for littering on public property or anyone else’s private property from $1,000 to $2,500. The criminal misdemeanor also would carry possible sentences of up 100 hours of community service collecting litter, up from 16 hours currently. The minimum fine would remain $100 for tossing less than 100 pounds of refuse. For dumping larger amounts, most penalties would also increase, but the highest possible fine would be capped at $10,000 — down from $25,000 — but it would be mandatory for dumping more than 500 pounds.