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Posted: Thursday, June 24th, 2004 5:47 AM HST

New law puts teeth in battle to curb illegal dumps

By Associated Press

(Honolulu-AP) -- Anyone caught illegally dumping a large truckload of waste material will face up to five years in prison and a 50-thousand-dollar fine. The penalties are included in a bill signed into law today by Governor Lingle. She said it's an attempt to eliminate ``ad hoc garbage dumps'' that have become a big problem in Hawaii. It also would be a felony to create an illegal dump which results in a cleanup cost of more than 15-hundred dollars. For repeat offenders, the felony penalty would be triggered with dumping only a pickup load of materials. Specifically, the felony would apply for anyone who knowingly dumped an amount greater than ten cubic yards, or for repeat offenders, more than one cubic yard. (Copyright 2004 by the Associated Press. All rights reserved.)