The New York City Council passed a package of bills Thursday aimed at combating the scourge of dog poop that lines city blocks and litters New York City parks, often creating smelly challenges for pedestrians.
The package of four bills, known as the Safe and Clean Outdoor Ownership Practices, or SCOOP, Act came in response to rising complaints about dog droppings around the city. Legislators also cited a particularly messy winter where heavy snowstorms froze dog droppings and tainted what was once bright white snow with brown craters.
“We all know New York City has a dog poo problem — we have seen it, smelled it and unfortunately many of us have stepped in it, but this is about more than an unpleasant sidewalk experience,” said Councilwoman Shahana Hanif, who introduced one of the bills. “Dog waste is a public health and environmental issue.”
The set of bills create a program to outfit at least 1,200 public garbage cans around the city with attachments for dog waste bags. Another bill will post signage around New York City parks to notify residents of the potential $250 fine for not picking up after one’s dog.
The bill introduced by Ms. Hanif, who represents a district including Park Slope and Carroll Gardens, would create a multi-language education campaign to inform the public about dog waste removal and the health risks associated with pet droppings. While some animal feces are commonly repurposed as fertilizer or manure, federal health officials classify dog droppings as waste that can carry pathogens like E-Coli and Roundworm.
All of the bills but one passed by a unanimous vote. One bill, that would require the Department of Parks and Recreation to partner with volunteers to create a dog-waste composting program, was opposed by four members of the council. One member, Councilwoman Gale Brewer, abstained and said during the vote that she was unsure if the program would create an undue burden for park workers “interfacing with the dog feces.”
“We share the City Council’s goals for creating a cleaner, greener New York City, and are always pleased to work with the Council collaboratively on legislation,” said Gregg McQueen, director of media relations for the parks department.
At least two of the bills have a reporting component. Ms. Hanif’s public education bill hopes to track results by compiling a report that will measure whether there has been a decrease in the amount of 311 calls about dog poop. And the composting bill, which sets up volunteer groups for collecting and composting dog poop in and around dog runs, requires the parks department to report how much waste was collected and how the compost was used.
While composting dog waste is more labor intensive than composting fruits and vegetables, the droppings can be rendered into a soil-friendly form, particularly effective in nonedible flower beds.
“This opportunity to divert dog poop from landfills is a really important opportunity,” said Councilman Harvey Epstein, who introduced the legislation. “It’s a lot of wins of making sure we reduce our landfill: We empower people in dog runs to effectuate a plan, and we provide better soil for our New York.”
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