By VICKI BROWN
To help fight Colleton’s ever-present litter problem, the county is partnering with a litter control program and the S.C. Department of Transportation (DOT) called Spring Spruce Up.
The new program started last week and is using budgeted county funds to pick up litter from 52 miles of roadways in Colleton County.
The program will attack litter on 17A, Sniders Highway, Bells highway, Robertson, Green Pond Highway, Puerifoy Road, Academy Road, Mt. Carmel Road, and Canadys Crossroads.
To help residents report litter problems, the county now has a form on its Web site for individuals to report litter issues. The form is available at https://www.colletoncounty.org/litter-control.
There is also a designated phone number – 843-898-8300 – for residents to report litter problems and litter pickup needs. “We are making a big push prior to the Rice Festival and encourage residents to help out by picking up litter around their homes and businesses, reporting problem areas via the form or phone number, disposing of trash in the appropriate manners and covering loads when taking trash to convenience sites and landfill,” said Meagan Utsey, Administrative Services director for Colleton County.
As a part of the attack on litter, Colleton County Council has also adopted an ordinance that now allows litter enforcement: officers can write tickets against those caught littering.
Anyone caught littering can be fined a maximum of $500 and/or go to jail for two to 30 days.
In addition to the fines and jail time, litterbugs can also be sentenced to community service hours.
At a recent Colleton County Council meeting, Councilman Dr. Flowers expressed his concern with the amount of litter throughout the county.
“You can’t go anywhere and not see litter. There are piles of it all over. It is time to get serious with this litter problem and start writing tickets to get this place cleaned up.”
Dana Cheney with Keep Walterboro Beautiful says he is also concerned about the appearance of the city. “There is a litter problem here, no doubt about it. We are concerned about the amount of trash that will be left from the Rice Festival. We are just asking people to be conscious of litter, find trash bins and cigarette bins that will be located throughout the festival avenues.”
Cheney went on to say that according to the law, trucks that have lose debris in the beds and no tarp covering will be ticketed if any debris flies out of the truck. “I don’t think people understand what a ticket entails,” said Cheney. “Anything less than 15 pounds, and that includes a cigarette butt, the fine is $50, or eight hours of community service, which is picking up trash. You can get out of community service, but the fine then goes up to $170. Trucks are fined higher if debris flies out. The city and country are going to crack down on this problem.”
For those who are unaware, the ordinance on littering is clear and covers a wide range of circumstances.
The New Litter Ordinance
According to the county’s litter ordinance:
• Littering is prohibited. It is unlawful for any person to throw, discard, or deposit garbage, compostable trash, or derelict property in any manner or amount in or upon any property, highway, street, body of water, ditch, creek, park, etc., within the county except in receptacles authorized and provided for that purpose.
• Loads on vehicles. No person shall drive, move, park, or in any other way operate any vehicle within the county unless said vehicle is loaded so as to prevent any of its load from shifting or escaping therefrom.
• Any vehicle transporting or hauling material such as garbage, compostable trash, or derelict property or any other material that could escape the vehicle, must be covered and/or secured with a tarp or other appropriate cover or tie-down, as defined herein.
• Any driver or other person in direct control of any vehicle from which any materials or objects have escaped shall immediately cause said material to be cleaned up at his/her own expense.
• When any litter is thrown or discarded from any type of motor vehicle the operator or owner, or both, shall be deemed in violation of this section.
• No person shall cause any handbill to be thrown, scattered, deposited or distributed upon any public or private motor vehicle, sidewalk, street, lane, alley, ground, pole, tree, fence, structure or building within the county.
• All persons shall store their garbage in leak-free, covered containers to eliminate the elements from spreading the debris and unsightly garbage about the property owned, managed, or controlled by them. Spillage and overflow around containers shall be cleaned up as quickly as possible after it occurs.
• No person shall sweep or deposit any accumulation of garbage or derelict property into any gutter, street, parking lot, water body or waterway, or other property within the county.
• All construction and demolition sites shall maintain on-site receptacles throughout the duration of the work being performed.
• It shall be the responsibility of every owner, manager, or occupant of any public or private property or place to provide, and maintain adequate and suitable receptacles and/or containers capable of containing any garbage or derelict property until proper final disposal is accomplished.
• The owner, operator, or manager of a loading or unloading dock shall constantly maintain the dock area in such a manner that litter will be prevented from being carried by the elements to adjoining premises, streets, etc.
• Except where specifically authorized by formal council agreement, Colleton County convenience sites are restricted for use by Colleton County residents only.
• Any person who improperly uses any Colleton County dumpster by placing the wrong materials not specifically called for disposal in said dumpster, such as placing metal in a “plastics only” dumpster, is in violation.
• Any person who shall deposit trash on the ground instead of in a dumpster is in violation.
• All commercial developments shall use their assigned garbage collection containers and maintain them in a clean, and aesthetically pleasing condition.
• It is unlawful for any person to allow a refuse container to remain unemptied for more than 10 consecutive days.
Litter collection efforts
The Colleton County Sheriff’s Office has already been issuing tickets for litter violations in the county.
The agency has also been working with Keep Walterboro Beautiful to actually pick up litter from along roadways.
In May of 2021, the sheriff’s office and Keep Walterboro Beautiful volunteers collected 1,860 pounds of trash (62 bags) along Keegan Road; in June of 2021, they collected 1,350 pounds of trash (54 bags) from Bonnie Doone Highway; in July of 2021, they removed 1,025 pounds of trash (41 bags) from Green Pond Highway; in November of 2021, 1,225 pounds of trash was collected from Robertson Boulevard; in December of 2021, 18 bags of trash was picked up from along Round O Road; in February of this year, volunteers removed 17 bags of trash from Ritter Road; and in March of this year, 17 bags of trash was collected from alongside Highway 17 (Cottageville Highway). Litter collection efforts by these volunteers and the sheriff’s office will continue.
