• Litter is hazardous as well as unsightly.environment degratation image by Bartlomiej Nowak from Fotolia.com
  
  The Florida Department of Transportation spends $10 million each year to clean up roadside litter. Littering is a pervasive problem that not only is unsightly, but affects the environment as well. With litter being defined as any discarded garbage, rubbish or trash, it is easy to see why we need litter laws to keep Florida's roads and waterways clean.
  
  

Dumping Litter

• Florida law states that the dumping of litter is prohibited by any person in any amount. This law applies to the dumping of litter on public roads, alleys, highways, public lands, lakes, rivers, streams, canals or coastal waters. It is also prohibited for a person to dump litter from a motor vehicle or boat. Both the owner and operator of the vehicle or boat can be fined for littering.
  
  

Raw Human Waste

• It is against Florida law for any person to dump raw human waste from any train, aircraft, vehicle or water vessel unless otherwise authorized, This includes dumping on public or private lands as well as in any bodies of water.
  
  

Penalties

• For a first offense, the fine for dumping under 15 pounds of litter is $50. The person in violation of the law can also be made to pick up litter as part of her punishment. The fines can go up depending on the amount of litter dumped. The perpetrator may also be found guilty of a felony and made to pay restitution for any damage caused by dumping.