BERGEN COUNTY, N.J. - Hackensack Riverkeeper Captain Bill Sheehan and Bergen County Sheriff Leo P. McGuire have outlined details of a joint anti-litter campaign designed to reduce the amount of trash that makes its way from the county’s roadways into its waterways and beyond.

The campaign, entitled "CLEAN STREETS = CLEAN WATER: Bergen County Litter Marshal Program", utilizes billboard messaging along several of the County's more heavily traveled thoroughfares to discourage litter and assist law enforcement in responding to it.

The program will empower the general public as "County Litter Marshals" and offer people an easy and anonymous mechanism for reporting litter violations to ensure violators are aware of the environmental impact and potential legal repercussions of their actions.

The program is one of the most aggressive anti-litter campaigns to take place in New Jersey, though it is based on similar local campaigns in Fair Lawn, New Jersey and Rockland County, New York.

Featuring a graphic image of a motorist flagrantly tossing trash from a moving car, the billboards urge those who spot such littering to call the Hackensack Riverkeeper Watershed Watch Hotline at 1-877-CPT-BILL (278-2455) with the date, time, and location of incident as well as the vehicle make, model, color and license plate number. All reports are then relayed to a special desk at the Bergen County Sheriff's Department from which a written "Litter Violation Notice" is sent to the vehicle owner warning of potential fines and penalties for littering. The notice also includes a pamphlet describing the various sources and consequences of litter.

CLEAN STREETS = CLEAN WATER billboards are designed to reach motorists traveling to and from sporting events, concerts and shopping, as well as commuters. In addition to the Carlstadt site, other billboard locations include:
• Route 46 Circle in Little Ferry, NJ;
• Routes 4 East and 46 East in Fort Lee, NJ;
• Additional sites in Bergenfield and in Hackensack (in December).

The billboard campaign will run through the months of November and December 2009, and will resume in 2010 as additional funding becomes available.

"Most people don’t realize that litter becomes water pollution once it rains," explained Captain Bill Sheehan. "With every rain, stormwater washes litter and all manner of debris and waste off of our streets, down our storm drains and ultimately into our waterways. It is our plan that this program will educate many thousands of people about their clean water responsibilities."

"CLEAN STREETS = CLEAN WATER: Bergen County Litter Marshal Program" is funded by grants from the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission and the New York-New Jersey Harbor Estuary Program. Additional funding was provided by the Pennington, NJ-based Watershed Institute.

Written by :

Carmine