Caltrans great American clean-up day
bagged a success
The Second Annual Great American Clean-Up Day bagged a
success!
As part of the statewide ‘Don’t Trash California
Campaign,’ the Central Coast Caltrans office conducted an anti-litter campaign
earlier this month during which maintenance crews and Adopt-a-Highway groups
throughout the district cleared debris from highways.
“This campaign is off to a great start, and in addition to
litter cleanup, we’ve included brush and graffiti removal, but we can’t do it
without the public’s help,” said Caltrans District 5 Director Rich Krumholz.
“We continue to ask that the public do their part to cover
their loads and keep trash inside their vehicles to ensure the beauty and the
environment surrounding our highways,” he said.
Annually, Caltrans spends about $55 million in the
anti-litter effort statewide, and the figures continue to grow as its crews and
Adopt-A-Highway groups gather litter.
On the Central Coast, Caltrans has spent $66,500 this year
on litter removal, and has picked up 396 cubic yards, or 2,779 bags, of trash.
All trash — including plastic grocery bags, food
containers and cigarette butts — must be disposed of in a proper trash
container. Once on our roadway, litter
travels into storm drains and waterways and pollutes rivers, lakes and the
ocean. It’s also a visual blight and can be a safety hazard, a Caltrans
spokesman said.
Highway littering carries fines up to
$1,000, enforced by the CHP.