'We have a litter problem': Gov. Wolf unveils statewide litter action plan
The holiday season normally brings a rush of shopping and the mailings needed to get out packages and letters.
This year, the U.S. Postal Service is gearing up for an expected crush of deliveries amidst a time of nationwide hiring shortages.
“Every year we urge customers to plan ahead and ship their holiday gifts early because the longer you wait, the more limited your choices of shipping options become,” said Freda Sauter, of the U.S. Postal Service. “In a normal year, the Postal Service processes billions of packages and mail pieces during the peak period, the time between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. The 2020 Holiday Season was record-setting for the Postal Service with more than a billion packages delivered.”
Sauter noted that the Postal Service has been planning, investing and hiring every day for the past 12 months.
Preparations include the leasing of 7.5 million square feet of additional space across more than 40 annexes with multiyear leases to address space constraints due to parcel growth, as well as a national drive to hire an additional 40,000 seasonal workers by the end of the year.
In the meantime, organizations and businesses feel the strain of getting out mailings.
Lycoming County Water & Sewer Authority Executive Director Christine Weigle noted that the past year has brought issues with putting out timely customer billings.
“I think it really started last year during the month of November,” she said.
Many water and sewer customers frantic over receiving bills past their due dates flooded the water and sewer offices with phone calls.
“We have been having problems for over a year now,” she said.
To counter the problems,
customers are being urged to go with email billings.
In the meantime, water and sewer employees remain busier than ever dealing with customers and the problems associated with late mailings.
“We bill the first of the month,” Weigle said. “Those bills are due the 20th. We have customers calling us that they haven’t received their bills.”
Customers have the option to prepay their bills for a full year, allowing them to avoid delays in monthly billing and, by doing so, receive 5% discounts on their billings.
Weigle noted that officials do their best to work with customers facing mailing issues, including waiving late fees.
“We’ve waived late fees based on the postmark,” she said.
The Sun-gazette has experienced its share of mailing problems, according to newspaper publisher Robert O. Rolley Jr.
“We understand the USPS is facing the same difficulties that many employers face: A lack of manpower. That puts any business or, in this case, a federal agency in a very difficult spot. We’re hopeful the Postal Service can overcome this,” he said. “Too many of our subscribers are mailing in their payments and we’re not getting them until a month later. That causes issues with delivery. We’re talking with our patrons and making changes to adapt, but that’s not sustainable.
Pennsylvanians pride themselves on the beauty the state offers, by way of millions of acres of forest, rolling hills and, this time of year, gorgeous fall scenery.
But anyone who has driven the state’s roads to reach those destinations will have a tough time arguing with Gov. Tom Wolf.
“We have a litter problem,” Wolf said when announcing Pennsylvania’s first litter action plan, developed in concert with more than 100 stakeholders from state and local government, businesses, legislators, nonprofits and community organizations. “Litter is bad for the environment and our communities, it’s a drain on taxpayer dollars.”
According to a 2020 study commissioned by state officials working with nonprofit Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, PENNDOT work crews spent more than $65 million between 201418 removing litter and debris from rights-ofway on state roadways.
Harrisburg, PA - The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed that as of 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 1, there were 9,143 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide cumulative total cases to 1,753,669.
Currently, there are 3,939 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19. Of that number, 858 patients are in the intensive care unit with COVID-19. More data is available here.
The trend in the 14day moving average number of hospitalized patients is increasing. The full 14-day moving average since the start of the pandemic can be found here.
Statewide percent positivity for the week of Nov. 19 – Nov. 25 stood at 12.1%.
As of 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 1, there 128 new deaths identified by the Pennsylvania death registry and reported for a cumulative total of 33,649 deaths attributed to COVID-19. County-specific information and a statewide map are available on the COVID-19 Data Dashboard. Vaccine highlights Federal data representing all 67 counties:
• According to the CDC, as of Wednesday, Dec. 1, Pennsylvania ranks 5th among all 50 states for total doses administered.
• According to the
The ageny’s annual litter removal budget is roughly $14 million.
“That’s money that we could be using to rebuild bridges, help veterans or feed people,” said Shannon Reiter, a North Huntingdon resident and president of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful. “We’re just so thrilled that the governor and our state agency partners are taking seriously the issue of litter, the burden it places on communities, and looking to shift to a prevention strategy.”
The report identifies 16 recommendations to address. Among them:
• PENNDOT, the Department of Community and Economic Development, and the Department of Environmental Protection will collaborate on an anti-litter campaign anticipated for spring 2022.
• DEP will work on rules to provide convenient and affordable access to waste disposal and recycling services in rural areas where they are not always economically feasible.
• As an add-on to their “Leave No Trace”
CDC, as of Wednesday, Dec. 1, 69.3% of Pennsylvanians age 18 and older are fully vaccinated.
Statewide data representing the 66 counties within the Department of Health’s vaccine jurisdiction:
• Pennsylvania’s vaccine dashboard was updated July 9 and Oct. 27 to more accurately reflect the number of people who are partially and fully vaccinated and account for the additional doses administered to residents in each county outside of Philadelphia. Demographic data associated with the vaccinations was also updated. The updates are part of the department’s continuous work to improve the quality of data and statistical reporting to ensure the public has the most accurate and up-to-date information. For state-tostate comparisons, refer to the CDC vaccine data tracker.
• Vaccine providers have administered 15,482,008 total vaccine doses, including 1,589,246 additional doses (which includes additional shots for immunocompromised individuals and booster shots).
• 189,882 total pediatric vaccines doses (ages 5-11) have been administered.
• 6,650,102 people are fully vaccinated; with 65,457 vaccinations administered since yesterday and a seven-day moving program, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources will update concession vendor agreements to try and minimize the use of straws and disposable utensils. Vendors will also be notified when composting is available at a state park.
• State police will continue with their “Operation Clean Sweep,” launched over the summer to reinforce a zerotolerance attitude when it comes to litter enforcement.
• The Fish & Boat Commission will introduce pilot projects to encourage proper disposal of fishing line.
DEP Secretary Patrick Mcdonnell said the state could take a lesson from the thousands of volunteer litter cleanups that take place across Pennsylvania each year.
“If we bring the same energy to litter prevention initiatives that thousands of volunteers have brought to cleaning up litter in their communities, we’ll turn a corner on Pennsylvania’s trash problem,” average of more than 37,500 people per day receiving vaccinations.
The department continues to urge Pennsylvanians to follow CDC guidance for wearing a mask where required by law, rule and regulations, including healthcare, local business and workplace guidance. For the protection of themselves and others, individuals who have not yet been vaccinated or are partially vaccinated are still encouraged to wear a mask when in public. CDC also recommends all individuals wear a mask indoors in public if you are in an area of substantial or high transmission.
There are 288,116 individuals who have a positive viral antigen test and are considered probable cases. There are 5,917,901 individuals who have tested negative to date.
In licensed nursing and personal care homes, there have been a total of 68,415 resident cases of COVID-19 to date, and 50,604 cases among employees, for a total of 119,019 at 1,671 distinct facilities in all 67 counties. Out of total deaths reported to PA-NEDSS, 15,152 have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities. A county breakdown can be found here. Note that the number of deaths reported to NEDSS is not exactly the same as the COVID-19 related deaths
Mcdonnell said. “And we’ll gain the community and economic benefits of a healthier environment.”
In order to combat litter in urban areas, the plan proposes innovative solutions like Lancaster’s “Tiny Can Project,” where city officials installed miniature garbage cans every few houses on both sides of the street in three targeted areas. Residents with a “tiny can” outside their homes agreed to empty them on trash day along with their regular trash collection.
Stakeholders hope the plan can help address what Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful estimates is a half-billion pieces of litter scattered throughout the state.
“We recognize we need to change behavior, not just clean up the mess,” PENNDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian said. “With this commonwealth Litter Action Plan, we’ve provided examples, resources, and calls to action so we can make some transformative change here in Pennsylvania.” reported by the death registry. The number of deaths among nursing and personal care home residents and employees is taken from the PANEDSS death data, as this information is not available in the death registry data.
The Department of Health is working to ensure the vaccine is provided in a way that is ethical, equitable and efficient to all Pennsylvanians:
• All Pennsylvanians age 5 and older are eligible to schedule a COVID-19 vaccine. Use Vaccine Finder to find a COVID-19 vaccine provider near you.
• A commonwealth COVID-19 vaccination guide explains the current process for getting one. Pennsylvanians with questions about the vaccination process can call the Department of Health hotline at 1-877724-3258.
• Vaccine dashboard data can also be found on the website to find more information on the doses administered and showcase demographic information.
• The Unite Against COVID Weekly Update is a round-up of news you can use and answers to your most pressing vaccine questions – delivered directly to your inbox every week.
• Frequently asked questions can be found here.