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February 22, 2007
Mark Blumenstein
Adopt A Highway groups want Bottle Bill to pass
Almost 50 people, many Adopt A Highway people representing their groups,
presented the governor with 4,000 names of people who support the Bottle Bill
now up before the Legislature.
Linda Frame, representing West Virginia Citizen Action Group, and the Adopt A
Highway volunteers spoke to the issue that out of 460 groups returning their
surveys, more than 81 percent said they wanted and would lobby for a Bottle
Bill. Wow! What an outcry of support from those that do West Virginia’s dirtiest
of jobs, picking up beverage containers and other refuse along the state’s
highways. These beverage containers are sometimes filled with the most
disgusting fluids and bodily waste and make up 40 percent to 60 percent of the
litter.
We Adopt A Highway folks do this so West Virginia will appear clean and
because we want our state to shine. A clean state encourages tourism.
What we heard from the governor was a big thank you, but he did not seem like
he was about to get behind this Bottle Bill. His excuse was that it had problems
in border counties and he was afraid customers would drive over a bridge to buy
in another state.
Most of us were surprised by that statement since convenience stores have
been doing just fine selling at higher prices than big box store chains. So,
that argument did not hold a bit of water with the Adopt A Highway people, and
it seemed like a lame excuse. We all know the price of gas and we also know that
the deposit that people would pay on bottles would be reimbursed.
We have heard that this bill will die a quiet death and has been basically
slowed if not killed in the Senate by referring it to three committees. Once
this happened, it became obvious the Senate and the governor do not support such
legislation, even after all the issues raised by the opposition over the past
four years have been remedied.
Slowly now we’re starting to hear that some of the Adopt A Highways groups
felt they would have no choice and have decided to withhold their cleanup
services temporarily until a Bottle Bill has passed. This is a difficult choice
they are making, for they all want a cleaner West Virginia, but feel they must
send a message to those that make our laws. Give us a Bottle Bill and we will
resume our volunteer efforts.
Most of these groups feel that since the bulk of the trash they pick up is
beverage containers that they need the government to support them. A hot dog
dinner and a key chain is the annual thank-you gift from the state to these
groups, but many want more than a hot dog and key chain. This is dangerous work,
and the government does not help you if you are injured during your two or three
cleanups mandated yearly. Our volunteers are working in snake-infested areas
with poison ivy, broken glass and dangerous road conditions. Your health care is
your own problem. Last year, we almost had a member hit by a speeding truck.
That member will not return. After 15 years of cleaning up our assigned areas,
it gets no easier to find volunteers.
There are many things that could assist Adopt A Highway volunteers, but the
biggest help would be a Bottle Bill.
Mark Blumenstein of Alderson is president of the Friends of the Lower
Greenbrier River.
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