Amador County – The California Department of Transportation removed more than 2,400 bags of trash from District 10 highway roadsides last week, including 234 bags filled along Amador County’s State Roads 16, 124 and 88.

Caltrans held a statewide Litter Removal Day on Thursday, April 19, to pick up litter and debris along the state highway system and to educate the public about this costly issue.

Caltrans District 10, based in Stockton, picked up 2,442 bags of trash in the eight counties in which it works, said Angela DaPrato of Caltrans District 10, including more than 234 bags of trash in Amador County for the entire day along Highways 16, 124 and 88.

There was also an Amador County Adopt-A-Highway group that participated with Caltrans for this event. They were the Clos Du Lac Cellars. They picked up on Highway 108 from Jackson Creek Road to Martin Lane.

Caltrans reported a total of 2,441 bags of trash picked up from along roadsides in District 10. By County, those included seven bags in Alpine, 47 in Mariposa, 110 in Calaveras, 158 in Tuolumne, 436 in San Joaquin, 583 in Merced, 867 bags of trash in Stanislaus County.

Daprato said the best anti-litter campaign is to ensure trash never makes it onto the highways in the first place. Caltrans encourages people to carry a litter bag in vehicles and always dispose of trash properly. Never discard cigarette or cigar refuse improperly. Always cover and properly secure loads of trucks and pick-ups.

Last year, Caltrans spent almost $43 million on litter removal throughout the State Highway System, Daprato said. More than 150,000 cubic yards of litter were collected and disposed. That’s about 9,500 Caltrans garbage trucks full of litter.

In addition to economic costs, litter presents a wide range of serious threats to the environment and human health. Wildlife can suffer from plastics in the environment. Roadside vegetation can be damaged by large debris. Fires can be started from burning cigarettes that can threaten human health.

Harmful chemicals and biohazards can cause a serious threat to human health and litter can clog roadway drainage systems that can lead to wet-weather highway flooding, congestion, and accidents. Litter can also aid in the spread of disease.

See Caltrans’ website for more info on the Adopt-A-Highway Program or call Kathy Cockayne, District 10 Adopt-A-Highway Coordinator, at (209) 948-7462.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.