Report Illegal Dumping/Burning

To report illegal garbage dumping within the City of Rochester, call Rochester Community Development at 507-328-2950.

To report illegal garbage dumping outside of Rochester's city limits, call the Olmsted County Planning Department at 507-328-7100.

Burning garbage in a burn barrel, fire pit, wood stove, etc. is illegal in most instances in Minnesota. It's also not a good idea because it can be dangerous to your health and the environment. Ordinary items such as paper products, painted items, and plastics can release toxic chemicals such as arsenic, mercury, chromium, formaldehyde, hydrochloric acid, lead, dioxin, and dioxin-like chemicals. Since there is no combustion control or air pollution control equipment on a burn barrel, those chemicals go into the air and/or ash and create health and environmental risks.

If you live in a rural area, you can call the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources at 507-522-5062 to get permission to burn brush. You can also apply online.