Local governments receive litter cleanup money

Washington State Department of Ecology

Department of Ecology News Release - July 22, 2003

03-148

Local governments receive litter cleanup money

BELLEVUE - Seven northwestern Washington counties, plus the cities of Seattle and Everett, will share more than $892,000 in state grants to address litter and illegal dumping.

The Community Litter Cleanup Program (CLCP), administered by the Department of Ecology (Ecology), provides funding to local governments that have approved plans to clean up litter and illegal dumps and to provide anti-litter education in their communities.

Using similar grants in the past two years, these nine governments cleaned up 2.6 million pounds of litter while cleaning 9,248 miles of roadway and 3,302 acres of public land.

Unlike many other state grant programs, the local governments do not have to provide matching money from their own budgets. However, they often contribute in other ways, such as waiving disposal fees, paying for crew labor and donating the use of county equipment.

"This funding has proved very valuable to local governments for cleaning up specific litter-prone areas and illegal dump sites," said Steven Williams, who helps administer grants for Ecology. "Local governments have been a big help to us in our statewide litter-cleanup efforts."

Funding for CLCP comes from a tax imposed on industries whose products are related to the litter problem.

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Contact: Steven Williams, grant administrator, 425-649-7048
Larry Altose, public information, 425-649-7009; pager, 206-663-1785

For more information: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/swfa/litter/
Report litterers: 1-866-LITTER-1

EDITORS, NEWS DIRECTORS: Here are the planned activities, plus a contact, for each local government receiving the grants.

The city of Everett will use $34,500 to oversee crews that will clean litter and illegal dumps from city roadways and recreational areas. The city also will produce and distribute a brochure explaining the environmental and economic costs associated with littering. Contact: Jack Harris, 425-257-8988.
Island County will use $62,611 to set up volunteer groups to clean up litter and illegal dumps on roadways, state parks, county parks and beaches; to conduct field trips for students to selected beaches to conduct cleanups and waste-sorts; and to install litter-prevention signs. Contact: Janet Hall, 360-679-7391.
King County will use $128,200 to operate a work crew made up of corrections, work-release and volunteer labor to clean up litter and illegal dumps in designated areas. The county also will provide outreach to area schools on preventing litter and illegal dumps. Contact: Polly Young, 206-296-8450
Kitsap County Sheriff will use $62,000 to maintain cleanup crews composed of inmates from Kitsap County Jail. The crews will focus on county roads and also clean illegal dumpsites as requested. Contact: Larry Bertholf, 360-337-7107.
Kitsap County Public Works will use $14,000 to coordinate volunteer cleanup of recreational areas, give litter prevention presentations to elementary schools and instill anti-litter signs on county roads. Contact: Dave Peters, 360-337-5777.
San Juan County will use $47,590 to operate litter pickup crews consisting of both juvenile and adult offenders and youth volunteers. The crews will devote their efforts to county roadways and parks on Lopez, Orcas, San Juan and Shaw islands. Contact: Russell Harvey, 360-378-2114.
Seattle Public Utilities will use $228,400 to operate work crews made up of convicts to clean up litter and illegal dumps on city, county and state roads and other public land. Contact: Vic Roberson, 206-615-0570.
Skagit County will use $73,900 to oversee a litter cleanup crew composed of offenders sentenced to do litter pickup and inmates. The crews will clean county roadways and public access areas, as well as various state lands. Contact: Janice Proper, 360-336-9333.
Snohomish County will use $177,800 to oversee litter cleanup crews supplied through the Snohomish County Work Release Program. The crews will clean litter from state and county roads as well as illegal dump sites. The county also will work with non-profit groups to identify and cleanup dump sites on public lands in remote areas of the county. Finally, the county will purchase two new 8-passenger vans to transport crews and equipment. Contact: Jeff Kelley-Clarke, 425-388-6486.
Whatcom County will use $63,800 for a juvenile-offender litter crew to clean roads, trails and other public lands. Illegal dumps located on public lands may be cleaned as requested. The county also will use funds continue its anti-litter outreach campaign. Contact: Penni Lemperes, 360-676-7695.