Volunteers in Statesboro devoted more than 480 hours to the Great American Cleanup in mid-April, and city crews have recently removed nine tons of discarded tires from street rights of way and drainage areas.

Megan Jackson, the Keep Statesboro-Bulloch Beautiful coordinator, and Robert Seamans, the city’s streets and parks superintendent, reported Tuesday to City Council. Seamans also noted a police action involving illegal dumping and got council approval to apply for a state grant for continuing scrap tire removal.

This year’s local Great American Cleanup effort was held April 13 along with the Spring into Statesboro event downtown.

“We had over 155 volunteers just for this event, volunteers from Georgia Southern, individuals and families, as well as some new collaborations with groups such as the Rotary Club, Ogeechee Technical College Fish and Wildlife Club and also with the Ogeechee Riverkeeper,” Jackson said.

Ogeechee Riverkeeper, the nonprofit based in Savannah, hosts Rivers Alive cleanups. During the Great American Cleanup here, the Riverkeeper group cleaned some waterways and canals, she said.

“We also had a lot of local businesses this year that had small groups of volunteers, which was really exciting as well, and so, with all these volunteers and prep for this event from some of our volunteers, we had over 480 volunteer hours,” Jackson said.

In a follow-up email, she noted volunteers organized by dentist Dr. Ricky Lane as an example of private efforts for the public cleanup.

Across Statesboro, more than 40 public areas of various sizes were cleaned up, Jackson reported to the mayor and council.

In addition to a signup table for volunteers, Keep Statesboro-Bulloch Beautiful operated an education table downtown during the cleanup. In addition to KSBB promotional materials, Jackson and helpers distributed information about litter laws and penalties and “pocket ashtrays,” meant to help smokers avoid dropping cigarette butts on the ground.

Policing litter

For a longer-term attack on litter, Jackson helped arrange for city and county law enforcement officers to receive training in state and local litter and sanitation laws, Seamans reported. The city’s sanitation and street crews are also involved in the ongoing efforts.

“Our sanitation superintendent (Stevie Thomas) has been doing a really good job this year in being very diligent in watching for illegal dumping around town,” Seamans said. “We have had some issues there. The other day we did actually find some illegal dumping at one of these sites. He in turn brought the law enforcement side in.”

After Thomas spotted the problem, a Statesboro Police Department officer or officers identified a suspected dumper, “did a knock-and-talk” at the person’s door and issued a citation, Seamans said. He did not name the person cited.

Tire removal

Earlier in the meeting, Seamans updated the mayor and council on scrap tire collection efforts. A few months ago District 2 Councilman Sam Jones noted that some tires had been dumped in his district, and other council members expressed similar concerns.

“Since those concerns were brought forward we moved forward and charged our Sanitation Division and our Streets Division to aggressively find these tires on our right of ways and just right off of the right of ways, get them secured and properly disposed of,” Seamans said.

So far 9.19 tons, “the equivalent of 818 tires” have been rounded up, he said.

That was an estimate based on an average tire weight, but the tonnage included some heavier truck tires and even a couple of tractor tires, Seamans explained later.

He presented a proposal to apply for a grant project to total about $6,662 from the Scrap Tire Abatement Program administered by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division. This would be for collection and disposal of tires from city rights of way over 12 months. The council gave its unanimous go-ahead.

“This time next year I hope to report to you that not only did we do this amount, but we’ve gone  back and asked for more,” Seamans said.

Tires collected for the grant program will have to be kept and shipped separately from those turned in by citizens.

Everyday ‘amnesty’

District 1 Councilman Phil Boyum later asked if there were plans for a day when people could turn in electronic items, tires or household chemicals for disposal.

“I’m glad you brought that up,” Seamans said.

Bulloch County residents and taxpayers, including Statesboro residents, can take tires to the county’s recycling convenience centers, he noted.

“We have Tire Amnesty Day every day,” Seamans said. “All you’ve got to do is put it in the trunk of your car or in your truck, drive by a recycling center and they will allow you to put a tire or two in the recycling bin there for tires, at no charge.”

Herald reporter Al Hackle may be reached at (912) 489-9458.