Loads of litter collected along Outer Ring Road
Some of the discarded items could have been dangerous projectiles, minister says
Some of the items pulled out of the ditches and median along the Outer Ring Road on Sunday would make you shiver.
A large welder’s acetylene tank, a car door and other car parts, along with the usual tires, paper, coffee cups and plastic. In the past there’s been mattresses and couches.
Transportation and Infrastructure crews working on and near the Outer Ring Road on Sunday collected several large dump trucks full of litter and other discarded items.
Most of it is assumed to have fallen from unsecured loads heading to the Robin Hood Bay landfill.
And those large, solid items could have been like a projectile coming off a vehicle and endangering other people’s lives who were travelling on the Outer Ring Road, said Bernard Davis, minister of Environment and Climate Change.
“It doesn’t take a big effort to secure a load,” Davis said onsite Sunday. “Not only to protect the environment, but also flying debris off the back of your truck could hit another vehicle.”
Davis said it is important to get the message out that police will be on the lookout for those with unsecured loads or who conduct illegal dumping. In addition to the safety issues it causes, it is bad for the environment and an eyesore for tourists, he said.
“Every piece of garbage started in someone’s hand,” Davis said. “We have to do better. We all have a role to play. Let’s all do our part to dispose of garbage and old household items in an appropriate manner.”
The Outer Ring Road was chosen for a cleanup because it’s a highly concentrated area and the route for a lot of traffic heading to the landfill. But illegal dumping and unsecured loads are issues across the province.
Sunday’s cleanup, including staff for road closure and collecting garbage and debris, cost about $80,000. That amount is up slightly from last year because volunteers couldn’t be added due to COVID-19 safety concerns.
“We all need to be aware of the cargo securement regulations that govern our provincial roadways, and make sure that loads are properly secured against braking, accelerating, making a turn or climbing a hill,” said Sarah Stoodley, minister of Digital Government and Service NL.
“Ensuring safe and secure cargo loads not only contributes to road safety, but helps prevent unnecessary litter on our province’s road network.”