Illegal Dumping & Hazardous Spills

Unfortunately, accidents happen and sometimes they involve hazardous materials. On occasion there are also incidents of intentional dumping of toxic wastes. Sometimes the incident may be as simple as someone dumping an unknown (or known) waste product into an inlet such as leaves, grass clippings or paint.

All of these situations must be dealt with quickly. We must get involved to keep our area beautiful and prevent pollution of our waters. If you see something suspicious or witness such an accident, here are simple steps to take.

Response Situations

Scene
Description
Call
Hazardous spill or release
Spill or intentional release of unknown substance
911
Unknown substance in inlet
Someone pouring unknown substance into inlet, or unknown substance found in inlet
911
Known substance in inlet
Known substances such as oil, paint, concrete, leaves or debris, trash, household products found in inlet
(407) 571-8331


The Seminole County Fire Department (SCFD) has highly-trained HazMat personnel equipped to analyze, contain and clean up hazardous spills and releases. If you witness such a spill or release, call 911 immediately and give an address and description of what happened.

If you see someone pour an unknown substance down an inlet, or if you see or smell an unknown substance in an inlet, call 911 immediately and give the dispatcher a description of the scene and an address. The SCFD will determine further steps needed for containment and clean up. Never try to get samples of the substance yourself, leave that task to the professionals!

Whether a hazardous spill or an illicit discharge is accidental or intentional, it is the responsibility of all of us to respond quickly to protect our environment. All we need to do is pick up the phone.