Worcester County Commissioners voted Oct. 7 to adopt a penalties structure designed to discourage out‑of‑county waste deliveries after staff reported a measurable increase in loads believed to be from neighboring jurisdictions.

Public Works staff said the county has documented instances of waste delivered from outside Worcester and that, if unaddressed, increased outside volume could exhaust Cell 5 at the county landfill before Cell 6 is designed and opened. Staff proposed a graduated penalties regime for haulers found delivering out‑of‑county waste: a $500 first‑offense fine (noted as the county maximum for non‑charter counties), a $1,000 fine and one‑week suspension for a second offense, a $1,000 fine and one‑month suspension for a third, and a one‑year suspension for a fourth offense. The county compared the penalties to neighboring Wicomico County's higher fines and longer suspensions.

Department staff described enforcement methods including designated off‑load areas for spot checks, photographic documentation and a hearing option in district court for parties seeking review of fines. Commissioners asked how out‑of‑county origin would be established; staff said checks include inspection of contents (for addresses and paperwork) and the use of geofence and traffic‑pattern data to identify probable hauling origins.

Commissioner Fiore asked that haulers and the public be notified; staff said the department would issue letters to commercial carriers, publish public notices and use social media. Commissioners also discussed the potential need to reroute multijurisdictional commercial services; staff acknowledged an outreach and education phase prior to strict enforcement.

The board approved the proposed penalties and enforcement approach unanimously, 7–0.