Photo by Alexis Tarrazi Bergen County Sheriff Leo P. McGuire and Hackensack Riverkeeper Bill Sheehan are asking locals to report litterbugs by calling 1-877-CPT-BILL.

By Alexis Tarrazi / Senior Reporter

CARLSTADT (Nov. 19, 2009, 2:10 p.m.) — Litterbugs, consider yourself warned.

Captain Bill Sheehan, of the Hackensack Riverkeeper, and Bergen County Sheriff Leo P. McGuire are teaming up to toss the trash out of the Garden State with a new campaign coined “Clean Streets = Clean Water: Bergen County Litter Marshal Program.”

“We both had the same passion to help keep the water clean,” McGuire said of their joint efforts. “No one can do what we want to do alone, so we put this program together not to punish people, but to educate.”

Litter can come from a variety of sources, including pedestrians, motorists, overflowing household garbage or construction sites. But the common denominator is people, according to the Hackensack Riverkeeper.

When a cigarette butt is thrown out the window, it may be out of sight, out of mind for that smoker. However, it not only ends up contaminating the environment, but it may make its way back to that person’s pocket.

The campaign reports that many tax dollars are spent cleaning people’s litter from the highways, parks, school grounds and riverfronts.

Something as simple as a glass bottle may take at least one million years before it deteriorates. Other common litter items, such as a plastic bottle, foam cup or cigarette filter, can stick around from anywhere between five years and 450 years.

Standing on the side of the bustling Route 120, across from the Meadowlands Sports Complex, McGuire and Sheehan launched their joint anti-litter campaign Tuesday, Nov. 10.

Designed to reduce the amount of garbage that makes its way from the county’s roadways into its waterways and beyond, the campaign utilizes billboards along several of the local area’s more heavily traveled highways.

The first billboard was posted on Route 120 in Carlstadt. Others can be found in Little Ferry, Fort Lee and soon in Hackensack and Bergenfield.

The billboards encourage the public to act as “County Litter Marshals” by giving them an anonymous phone number to report litter violators. The sign sports the campaign’s slogan, along with the hotline 1-877-CPT-BILL (278-2455) where motorists can report the license plate number, location, time, date and item(s) tossed. McGuire’s office will then send a pamphlet about the campaign and warning notice.

“These actions have reactions,” McGuire said. “We have to enhance the quality of life in Bergen County. And I believe by working together we can make a difference.”

Although litterbugs will receive a warning from the sheriff, if seen by police, they can be fined. Littering is a crime and there are numerous laws in Bergen County that prohibit littering on public and private property. Violation of these laws can lead to a fine of up to $500.

Local police departments in The Leader coverage area have reported either a minuscule amount or zero summonses issued for littering in 2009.

Not only is litter unsightly and a crime, it is also unhealthy and expensive. The campaign reports that litter is often blown by the wind or washed into storm drains by rain, which then ends up in the waterways, clogs storm drains, causes flooding and pollutes the water. Litter can also cause disease, start fires and lead to serious accidents.

To avoid contributing to the mounting problem, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection encourages locals to reduce, reuse and recycle materials whenever possible to create less waste, which could end up on our streets and contribute to stormwater pollution. Cigarette butts should be put in ashtrays or solid garbage cans, not on the streets. Automobile ashtrays should be emptied into the trash, not out the car window or directly on the ground.

“Most people don’t realize that litter becomes water pollution once it rains,” explained 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.”

Make a difference

The campaign is funded by the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission and the New York-New Jersey Harbor Estuary Program. Additional funding was provided by the Pennington-based Watershed Institute.

For more information call 1-877-CPT-BILL (278-2455).