Neighbor News
EarthDay '24: Deaths UP! from Littering in Connecticut, New England
Fatal Waste Littering/Dumping Incidents are UP across Connecticut & Most of New England. Exception: NO Deaths by Littering in Rhode Island!
by STEVE SPACEK, Director, American State Litter Scorecard (litterscorecard.com)
On Monday, the 54th anniversary of Earth Day, Connecticut and most New England States have seen a rise in deaths from waste littering incidents. Yet most other states across America, south and west of New England, have seen a decline in these type of fatalities, asserts Steve Spacek, Director of the American State Litter Scorecard (litterscorecard.com) and a Washington D.C.-based Public Performance Specialist.
Data from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s NHTSA Fatality Reporting System show Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine had significantly more life-taking, pedestrian and vehicular encounters with unabated solid waste in 2021 and 2022, than in previous years.
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The data also showed Rhode Island was the lone regional state reporting no fatalities whatsoever from waste littering and dumping.
A NHTSA Requests official contacted Spacek by written email, stating that “the data is accurate to the best of our knowledge, as each [of the 50] state(s) [lead police agencies] provide us the fatal crash data.”
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Roughly three (3) Americans are killed each day from vehicular and non-vehicular brushes with un-removed waste and related debris upon roads, sidewalks, trails and in parks nationwide. "These life-ending incidents with 'unfixed objects' can occur anytime and anywhere, under all types of weather," according to Spacek.
Immediately south of the New England region, New York City has made Spacek’s Scorecard “Most Waste Littered Big U.S. City” list for several years running. America's largest City still has the highest littering and dumping death rate per year for any urban environment in the nation. A total of approximately 15 people are killed annually within its five Boroughs.
For Connecticut and New England as a whole, studies show Construction and Landscaping Workers, Cigarette and Vape Smokers and Persons Age 16-25 are the groups most inclined to litter or dump solid wastes onto public spaces of the Northeast. “Too many in these groups are just not getting the message. Engaging in littering and dumping does damage our Earth and the lives of 1000s of children and adults,” said Spacek.
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