Operation Clean-up Soon to Clear Litter, Says Russell

Photo by K. Kiser

Littering, particularly of beer cans, is snatching away the beauty of St. Mary’s County and Commissioner President Jack Russell said Saturday a clean-up operation would begin as soon as the sun shines warmer.

The problem may drive away tourist dollars–as much as $60 million a year– if littering is allowed to persist, a concerned citizen has warned the local authorities.

“There is litter on Mechanicsville Road, Route 236, along Budd Creek Road, all over Golden Beach and Route 5, all over Leonardtown and places south,” concerned citizen JoAnn Depperschmidt informed the St. Mary’s Board of County Commissioners. “I have called many times to have litter picked up in my neighborhood, Wicomico Shores; however, once picked up litter begins to reappear,” she said.

Depperschmidt called the attention of the commissioners to the “Adopt a Highway” or “No Littering” programs that seem not to be working in the county.

The citizen said she once picked up two large green bags of half-empty alcohol containers in the vacant lot next to her house. “Is there nothing else for people to do in the county?” she asked.

Depperschmidt, who once lived in a northern county, implored action from the commissioners to keep the county attractive for tourists and residents, alike.

To a query of The Bay Net, Russell responded a clean up operation would begin once the days begin to warm up.

“We will try to get prisoners to start trash duty as soon as the weather breaks,” Russell told The Bay Net.