NEWSROOM
Law
Enforcement Agencies to Join Forces During “Zero Tolerance
for Litter!” Weekend March 4-6
February 23, 2005
Louisiana's first "Zero
Tolerance for Litter!" campaign will kick off with a statewide
public awareness weekend March 4-6. The event, coordinated by
Keep Louisiana Beautiful Inc., will bring together law enforcement
agencies and concerned citizens in an effort to keep Louisiana
beautiful and litter free.
"We will be focusing
our efforts in areas used by boaters, fishermen and wildlife management
area users," said Col. Winton Vidrine, chief of the Louisiana
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Law Enforcement Division.
"And any instances where large items such as old appliances
and furniture are dumped on wildlife management areas and state
refuges, will be investigated." he added.
LDWF is asking citizens
to help assist in the effort. Persons seeing someone litter are
asked to call 1-888-LITRBUG (1-888-548-7284). Callers do not have
to leave their names. The toll-free hotline operates 24 hours
a day.
Callers will be asked
the time, date and location of the littering, and also the license
plate number, color, make, model and year of the vehicle involved.
The offender will then receive a letter from the Department of
Environmental Quality reminding them that littering is illegal
and asking for their help in keeping Louisiana beautiful. Depending
on the incident, a criminal investigation may also be launched.
Trash ends up on both
our roads and in our waters in various ways. Small loose objects
can fly from boats or the beds of pickup trucks, adding to the
state's litter problem, sometimes unintentionally.
In addition to being
unsightly, litter can be dangerous to boaters, drivers and to
the environment. Massive amounts of rain from thunderstorms, tropical
depressions and hurricanes can lead to flooding conditions, made
even more severe by trash thrown onto our roadways that ends up
in ditches, creeks and bayous, blocking water flow. Littering
also damages our coastal habitat, affecting the ecosystem of numerous
species.
"Not only is littering
ugly and harmful to our environment, it is also against the law,"
said Col. Vidrine. "Wildlife and Fisheries agents will continue
to take a strong stance against littering."
Louisiana law (R.S.
30:2531-R.S. 2531.3) provides for fines from $50 to $5,000 for
violators. Those who litter also can expect anywhere between 4
to 100 hours of community service, suspension of their driver's
license for one year, and possible jail time of up to 30 days.
LDWF, Louisiana State
Police, the Department of Corrections, the Department of Transportation
and Development, and Keep Louisiana Beautiful sponsor "Zero
Tolerance for Litter Weekend".
People interested in
volunteering in the state's anti-litter initiatives can join various
efforts by Keep Louisiana Beautiful and its affiliates. Louisiana's
Adopt-A-Road program also is an excellent way to actively participate
in the upkeep and beautification of Louisiana's highways.
For more information
on this program, call the DEQ at 1-225-379-1346 or visit their
Web site at http://www.deq.state.la.us.
To find out
more about "Zero Tolerance for Litter Weekend," contact
Major Jeff Mayne at (225) 765-2980 or jmayne@wlf.louisiana.gov.
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