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Countians encouraged to participate in cleanup week Litter Awareness Week will be observed in Clarke County Sept. 11-16 and special efforts are being made to make residents in the area more aware of the importance of keeping the environment clean. The special anti-littering campaign is spearheaded by the Clarke County Citizens Against Littering.
Trash bags will be available During that week daily litter announcements will be made at schools in the county. On that Saturday brochures and litter bags will be passed out at Dunn's Exxon in Grove Hill, Wal-Mart in Jackson and Thomasville and at Greers in Coffeeville. According to Kendall Bush, Clarke County's Environmental Supervisor, over the past year Clarke County Health Department has investigated 42 solid waste complaints, which included littering complaints as well as other solid waste violations. The department has also conducted 128 illegal dump inspections, which includes multiple visits to some sites as well as single incidents, such as a lone bag of trash left beside the road. By definition in the Criminal Littering Law, litter includes items discarded from vehicles, whether intentionally or unintentionally, and items discarded on the property of another.
Litter still a major problem "Litter is still a major problem in Clarke County. Usually we find that someone has dumped trash or garbage on the property of another person without permission. Even dumping leaves and limbs, which by regulation can be put anywhere, is illegal if done without permission of the landowner," he said. Bush said those who are charged with criminal littering often believe that cleaning the trash up will eliminate the problem. However, the criminal charge was for the act of illegally disposing of the items, not failing to clean it up. Failing to clean up the trash, once ordered by the health department to do so results in the additional charges. The most visible litter is that which lines the roadways in the county. A good bit of the litter seen has been thrown out of vehicle windows. About 59 percent of that is paper, 16 percent cans, six percent bottles, six percent plastic and about 13 percent miscellaneous. One mile of highway contains approximately 16,000 pieces of litter.
Cigarette butts litter too Another common form of litter, most often found at traffic signals and intersections are cigarette butts, Most smokers do not realize that throwing their cigarette butts just anywhere is littering and that a cigarette butt takes years to biodegrade. Unintentional littering occurs when litter blows off the back of a truck or trailer. If the driver makes no attempt to pick up the litter, they are just as guilty as if they had thrown the litter from the vehicle.
More problems Litter causes more problems than unsightly scenery. It can affect aquatic life by choking inhabitants and impacting the water quality. Some litter may be a fire hazard and can also be dangerous to people if it contains broken glass, needles or syringes. Roadside trash and illegal dumps present a poor image to visitors and potential investors as well as residents, which can hamper tourism and economic growth. It also costs taxpayers' money for the litter to be cleaned up, about 30 cents per piece of litter. Litter that is not picked up takes years sometimes, to biodegrade. Orange peel takes six months, paper two to five months, cigarette butts from one to 12 years, plastic bags 10 to 20 years, aluminum cans 80 to 100 years, glass bottles one million years and plastic bottles never biodegrade. Clarke County Citizens Against Littering urges residents and visitors to set a good example by not littering and reminding others not to litter. Carry a litter bag in your vehicle and make certain everyone in the vehicle uses it. Securely cover trash containers to prevent wind or animals from spreading litter and do your part to keep your property as well as the road alongside your property clean. Cover and secure any vehicle, trucks or trailers to prevent trash from blowing.
Participation encouraged Clarke County residents are encouraged to help clean up the community by participating in clean-up programs, such as neighborhood clean-up days and the Adopt-A-Mile program. Volunteers may adopt a section of road, at least a mile long section, to keep it cleared of litter. A sign will be placed along that section of road in honor of the individual or group keeping it clean.
More information For more information about Clarke County Citizens Against Littering and the organization's anti-littering programs contact Patricia DuBose at 251-246-3650. To report litter violations contact the Litter Tip Line at 251-275-1091, 24 hours a day. To report illegal dump sites contact the Clarke County Health Department at 251-275-4177.
"Litter is still a major problem in Clarke County. Usually we find that someone has dumped trash or garbage on the property of another person without permission. Even dumping leaves and limbs, which by regulation can be put anywhere, is illegal if done without permission of the landowner," Kendall Bush Clarke County Environmental Supervisor
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