WA Cleared 5.2M Pounds Of Litter From Roads Last Year

OLYMPIA, WA — Washington's litter awareness campaign entered its second year Monday as the state looks to keep roads cleaner — and safer — this year than the last. According to the Washington State Department of Transportation, more than 12 million pounds of litter end up on or around roadways across the state each year, and close to 40 percent is the result of unsecured cargo and debris.

"Washington is the most beautiful state in the country, and to keep it that way we all have to do our part to keep litter and debris off our public spaces," Gov. Jay Inslee said Monday. "Unsecured loads are a threat to our safety and to the health of our fellow Washingtonians. We're reminding every driver about the importance of securing their cargo and keeping Washington litter free."

Monday was also National Secure Your Load Day, and Washington State Patrol is preparing to begin related emphasis patrols over the next three weekends in June. Not only is litter unpleasant to look at, environmentally damaging, and costly to remove, but troopers also note it can be deadly.

"Last year, debris on highways caused about 300 traffic crashes and 30 injuries in Washington," said Sergeant Darren Wright, a WSP spokesperson. "So far this year, we've seen two known fatalities related to unsecured loads. This is devastating because these crashes were all preventable."

Starting Friday and continuing each weekend through June, troopers will be on the lookout for litterers and drivers with improperly secured cargo. Fines range from $50 to $5,000, and WSP notes that items that fall and cause injuries or property damage can also mean jail time for the driver responsible. Even small items can net a fine, and some of the largest are for "lit debris" like cigarettes.

Last year, state agencies spent more than 125,000 hours clearing 5.2 million pounds of litter strewn over nearly 22,000 miles of roadway, WSDOT said. In just the first four months of this year, maintenance crews and volunteers removed 136 tons. WSDOT and the state Department of Ecology typically spend $8.5 million annually on roadway cleanup efforts.

"We're proud of the work we've done with local government and state agencies to lessen the harmful environmental impacts of roadside litter, but the truth is that more litter is deposited every year than we can pick up," said Amber Smith, Ecology's litter prevention coordinator. "Litter from unsecured vehicle loads affects every corner of Washington and can contain harmful chemicals or cause injuries to wildlife, as well as people."

To meet state requirements, officials recommend drivers hauling loads use things like tarps, straps and cargo nets to secure their vehicles. Giveaway events are in the works for King, Thurston and Yakima counties this month.

Residents interested in volunteering to help cleanup efforts can sign up via WSDOT's Adopt-a-Highway program.

• Learn more about properly securing items in Washington via the Department of Ecology.