Courtesy of Caltrans District 5:
Caltrans District 5 Maintenance crews focused on litter and debris removal today for Caltrans Annual Anti-Litter Day along five counties from Santa Cruz to Santa Barbara. This effort also coincides with Earth Day on Sunday, April 22.
“Caltrans remains committed to a litter-free state and we ask the public for their help in keeping the highways clean,” said Caltrans District 5 Acting Director, Richard Rosales. Last year, Caltrans spent $69 million on litter removal, collecting enough litter to fill more than 8,100 garbage trucks. If these trucks were parked end-to-end, it would stretch almost 41 miles.
During last year’s Litter Day, Caltrans picked up more than 3,200 cubic yards of litter, enough to fill 200 garbage trucks.
Cigarette butts are the number one item littered in the world which are discarded by the millions, often causing roadside fires, clogging storm drains and threatening water quality. Much of this trash comes from illegal dumping and improperly secured and uncovered loads. Motorists face injury and even death as the result of debris (ladders, sofas, etc.) that fall from vehicles hauling these loads.
If you are cited by law enforcement for littering, motorists may be subject to a fine of up to $1,000 and up to 24 hours of community service.
One way the public can help is by participating in Caltrans’ Adopt-A-Highway (AAH) Program. To become a volunteer or support the program through a paid sponsorship, call 1-866-ADOPT-A-HWY or go to: http://adopt-a-highway.dot.ca.gov. The Adopt-A-Highway Program began in 1989 and since then, more than 120,000 citizens have collected litter.
