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Mayor Mahoney’s Team & keep Palos Park clean and be part of
our Litter Awareness program
April 2012
"Pick It Up or Pay It
Out,” Palos Park’s zero tolerance for litter campaign.
Palos Park Mayor John Mahoney
and Police Commissioner Dan Polk have announced that one
component of the Village’s Litter Awareness program will
include ticketing litter bugs.
Mayor Mahoney said, “Litter
is a pervasive problem that adversely affects the health,
wealth and welfare of Palos Park residents. As we move into
spring, we are asking everyone to join us in our renewed
effort to make anti-littering the mantra of Palos Park.
Litter poses health risks, harms water quality and wildlife
habitat, and is an offense against communities.”
Palos Park Police
Commissioner Dan Polk said, “he wants to alert motorists
that littering violations will result in police issuing
actual tickets to anyone caught littering, and particularly
from their vehicles. The fine for littering violations can
be as high as $750 per violation.”
Commissioner Polk announced
the “ Pick it up or Pay it out” campaign, by asking all area
residents and visitors to help reduce litter by
participating in local cleanup efforts and encouraging one
another to pick up litter whenever they see it and to not
contribute to the problem themselves.
Some Primary sources of
litter:
Trucks with uncovered or
unsecured loads on local roads and highways.
Pedestrians or cyclists who do not use the receptacles
and motorists who do not use car ashtrays or litterbags.
Business dumpsters that are improperly covered.
Construction and demolition sites without tarps and
receptacles to contain debris and waste.
Household trash scattered before or during collection
Mayor Mahoney elaborated on
some interesting facts about the cost of litter to each of
us. Did you know?
The IEPA has spent about $1
million in Markham last year to remove more than 56,000
tires, 10,400 tons of construction debris and household
garbage, about 40 damaged boat hulls, auto parts, and drums
of unknown liquids
Litter can create fire
hazards, cause vehicle accidents, clog and overload sewage
systems, and pollute local rivers and streams.
Litter Costs Us:
The cost to try to clean up litter strains federal and state
budgets, businesses, transportation systems, schools, and
our national parks. Littered communities also suffer from
decreased tourism, reduced commerce, and declining property
values.
A study by the AAA Foundation
for Traffic Safety, found that the elimination of
vehicle-related road debris may prevent over 25,000 crashes
and save up to 90 lives per year.
The Village of Palos
Park’s campaign
PRESSURE POINTS:
Attitudinal and behavioral change can be brought about most
effectively and efficiently by using four components:
education, technology, ordinances and enforcement. Develop
program objectives to meet the defined needs in accordance
with your organizational goals.
1. Education:
Public attitudes and behavior about litter prevention,
beautification and community improvement and waste
reduction are directly affected by education. Education
includes more than school programs. Education includes
training seminars, workshops, public relations programs
and media campaigns, and specific programs. Civic clubs,
Chambers of Commerce, businesses and government agencies
may have public education
programs of interest.
2. Technology: Resources
and Tools
The equipment available to manage solid waste may affect
the amount of litter and need for beautification in your
community. Available technology may include litter pick
up tools, street sweepers, sanitation collection
vehicles, litter receptacles, recycling equipment and
trailers, graffiti removal equipment, etc.
3. Ordinances:
In every community, there are laws or ordinances which
have an impact on the focus areas. Most likely, these
provisions are throughout your government ordinances and
codes. With the assistance of appropriate officials and
agency heads, research and review the applicable
ordinances and codes to understand what ordinances exist
and what their effects are.
4. Enforcement:
Consistent and effective enforcement of ordinances and
codes will help to change behavior and reinforce the
commitment to cleaner, greener community. Peer pressure
may be an important element in changing public behavior.
Mayor Mahoney said “Join the
team and keep Palos Park clean”
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