Just North of Mariposa County Caltrans' John Moyle and Larry Hein from Sonora Maintenance Yard flashing smiles as they collect litter on SR-120. Credit: Caltrans

April 21, 2017 - Mariposa County – The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) held a statewide Litter Removal Day and Enforcement Day on Thursday, April 20, 2017, to pick up litter, trash and debris along the state highway system and to educate the public about this costly issue.

Caltrans District 10 employees picked up litter, trash and debris in its eight counties – Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Mariposa, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Tuolumne.

47 bags of litter, trash and debris were picked up on State Route 49 between the Mariposa County Fairgrounds and the town of Mariposa and along SR-132 near the town of Coulterville.

The best anti-litter campaign is to ensure trash never makes it onto the highways in the first place. 

Caltrans encourages you to:

·         Carry a litter bag in your automobile and always dispose of trash properly;

·         Never discard cigarette or cigar refuse improperly;

·         Always cover and properly secure loads of trucks and pick-ups.

With everyone doing their part we can keep California clean for today and the future.

Last year, Caltrans spent $76 million to remove 153,000 cubic yards of litter, trash and debris throughout the State Highway System, collecting enough litter to fill almost 10,000 garbage trucks. Parked end-to-end, those trucks would stretch more than 51 miles.

In addition to the economic costs, litter presents a wide range of serious threats to the ecosystem and human health: Wildlife suffers from plastics in the environment; roadside vegetation is damaged by large debris; fires are started from burning cigarettes and threaten human health; harmful chemicals and biohazards cause a serious threat to human health; litter clogs roadway drainage systems and can lead to wet-weather highway flooding, congestion, and accidents.  Litter aids in the spread of disease.
Source: Caltrans