Butler reports on clean up day; discusses penalties for littering

Lincoln County's "Great American Cleanup," sponsored by the City of Lincolnton and Lincoln County Government, took place Saturday, April 21. Shown picking up trash at the intersection of Rowland-York Road and the Elberton Highway are: (l-r) Delois Brown, Telisa Ferguson, Brittany Leverett, and Penny Quinn. The ladies are all members of First Baptist Church.

Although the turnout was slim by last year's standards, 14 volunteers managed to pick up 65 bags of trash, weighing in at a total of 1,170 pounds, during Lincoln County's "Great American Cleanup" held Saturday, April 21.

In April of 2006, 129 volunteers scooped up 4,200 pounds of trash from approximately 22 miles of roadway.

The roads covered during last Saturday's cleanup initiative were House Street, Watson Street, First Baptist Street, Metasville Road to Lovelace Road, New Petersburg Road, and Firetower Road.

The cleanup campaign was sponsored by the City of Lincolnton and Lincoln County.

"We are pleased with the efforts of our volunteers," stated Jim Butler, deputy code enforcement officer for Lincoln County. "We still have a lot of bags left and encourage people to organize pick-up events in their neighborhoods any time of the year. Hopefully, we'll have more people volunteer to participate in the Great American Cleanup next spring.

"Litter is unsightly," he continued. "No one wants to live, work, or play in a trashy environment. Litter can directly affect property values."

According to the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, littered neighborhoods can result in property values being lowered by as much as 15 percent.

Butler went on to say that litter is also a danger to wildlife. "It can contaminate water and soil and pose a fire hazard."

In other remarks, the code enforcement officer reminded local residents that the following penalties can be incurred by those dumping litter along Georgia's roadways:

.. Less than 10 pounds of "common" litter i.e. litter that is not biomedical or hazardous in nature or commercially dumped - A maximum fine of $1,000 or up to 12 months in prison. The charge is classified as a misdemeanor.

Common litter includes household garbage, discarded appliances and furniture, construction and demolition debris, and fast food and beverage containers.

.. From 10 to 500 pounds of common litter - A maximum fine of $5,000, a prison term of up to 12 months, or both. The violator may also be directed to pick up litter and/ or have his name published in the local newspaper. The charge is a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature.

.. Over 500 pounds of common litter - The penalty for the first offense is the same as that for 10 to 500 pounds of litter. The second offense is considered a felony and carries a maximum fine of $25,000 and/ or a prison term of up to five years. However, the portion of any term of imprisonment exceeding two years shall be probated upon payment of the fine. In addition, the court will publish a notice of the conviction in the local newspaper.

.. Any amount of biomedical/hazardous waste or commercially dumped litter - This is a felony, with sentencing identical to that for dumping over 500 pounds of common litter.

A few interesting facts about litter include:

.. The decomposition times for the following types of litter are: glass bottles, one million years; plastic foam cups, over 500 years; aluminum cans, 200-500 years; plastic bags, 10-20 years; cigarette butts, 1-5 years; and a piece of paper, 2-4 weeks.

.. Eight out of 10 Georgia motorists believe people litter because it is easier than saving the trash to discard later.

.. The items most commonly found during roadside cleanup initiatives are cigarette butts, fast food wrappers, and aluminum cans.

.. Eighteen percent of all littered items end up polluting streams and waterways.

.. The items listed below were found in conjunction with Great American Cleanup programs across the country: "No Dumping" signs, two wall safes, an accordion, a cash register, a diamond ring, an antique stove, a full set of wheels and tires, hip waders, a green house, a ping pong table, a slot machine, stolen lottery tickets, a taped-up diaper stuffed full of fruit, an uncashed check for $5,000, a truck bed liner, and a wig.

For more information about keeping Lincoln County clean, contact the county code enforcement office at 706-359-5525 or City Hall at 706- 359-3239.