Mother Lode Counties Clean Up On Caltrans’ 2020 Statewide Litter Removal Day
Sonora, CA – The Mother Lode counties cleaned up during the annual statewide Litter Removal and Enforcement Day put on by Caltrans.
Originally scheduled for March, the event had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. This month Caltrans maintenance crews headed back out into the field for the one day of trash collection, which is typically done around Earth Day. They along with Adopt-A-Highway and Special Program People volunteers hit state highways with the goal of showing the public the significant volume and effort it takes to remove garbage from the roadways.
“Keeping California highways clean is a team effort. Caltrans works closely with our local partners…to help achieve litter-free roadsides for all of us.” said District 10 Director Dan McElhinney.
His crews collected over 1,500 bags of garbage along state highways in Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Mariposa, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Tuolumne counties. Some of the items found discarded on the side of the road were a couple of sofas and a water heater that reinforce why the public needs to pitch in by refraining from dumping garbage along state highways.
Caltrans’ provided this breakdown of the amount of trash picked up in the Mother Lode counties of District 10, including maintenance crews from Sonora and Long Barn:
- 128 bags of litter in Calaveras/Alpine County
- 112 bags of litter in Tuolumne County
- 61 bags of litter in Amador County
- 17 bags of litter in Mariposa County
*That adds up to a grand total of 318 bags.
At last year’s event, Caltrans collected 287,000 cubic yards of litter to be hauled away, enough to fill 18,000 garbage trucks. Caltrans officials relay that is a savings of millions of dollars for taxpayers thanks to the volunteers’ efforts.
Caltrans offered these ways that the public can pitch in and keep trash from lining the highways:
- Stow a litter bag in your automobile and always dispose of trash appropriately;
- Properly extinguish cigarettes and cigars; Never throw a lit item from a vehicle.
- Always cover and properly secure cargo or materials hauled in passenger trucks and pick-ups.
- Adopt a California highway and remove litter.
