Smart Talk: Spring cleanup time in PA

What to look for on Smart Talk Tuesday, March 17, 2015:

Instead of grass, the first thing we see on the side of many Pennsylvania roads and waterways, once the snow has melted, is trash. Every year the first big thaw brings relief to drivers sick of ice and snow, but also reveals the toll that winter has taken on the state’s roads and highways.

The volunteers of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful are ready to take on the task of a spring cleanup. Originally launched by one woman and her local community in Westmoreland County to keep large and unwanted trash items off of their local roads, what has become Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful is currently collaborating with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation in an event called the Great American Cleanup.

Volunteers across the state are cleaning up trash and litter, holding recycling events, painting over graffiti, and generally beautifying their local communities as part of the Cleanup, which runs through the end of May. Since 2004 over a million Pennsylvania volunteers have picked up and disposed of over 80 million pounds of trash and over 200,000 tires during the annual event.

Penndot oversees the more structural types of cleanup that springtime roads require: pothole repair.

Joining us on Tuesday’s Smart Talk to discuss the Great American Cleanup and spring road maintenance are Shannon Reiter, president of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful and Penndot spokeswoman Jamie Legenos.

PennDOT Pothole Hotline: 800-FIX-ROAD or 800-349-7623

PA Recycling Hotline: 800-346-4242

To participate:

Interested individuals can find a listing of cleanup events, resources for organizing a cleanup, and other information about the effort online at www.gacofpa.org. Groups interested in adopting a section of highway are encouraged to contact their local PennDOT County Maintenance office and ask for the AAH coordinator, or visit www.dot.state.pa.us.

To learn how you can report illegal dumping in your area, visit www.IllegalDumpFreePA.org