Hall County Government's Spring Cleaning Project ended Friday, and county officials said employees and volunteers picked up more than 22 tons of litter during the month.
"I'm so very proud of the work Hall County officials and employees did to make Hall County a cleaner place to live, work and visit," Hall County District 4 Commissioner Jeff Stowe said. "We have responded to complaints from constituents regarding litter and will continue to do so as we work to address the root cause of littering in our community."
Since late March, Hall County Road Maintenance personnel have been identifying Hall County roads that were in need of a litter pick-up and addressed the roadways that were in the most urgent need of attention. Meanwhile, a number of Hall County Government employees from other departments gathered at the Hall County Landfill on Friday and were disbursed in groups to address the remaining litter zones.
"In all, there were 116 roads that were picked up, along with two special Saturday clean-ups at Balus Creek and Flat Creek," Hall County Solid Waste Director Johnnie Vickers said. "In addition, 44 tires were collected as a part of the overall effort."
Vickers said the total amount collected was weighed at the landfill and totaled 22.56 tons. Hall County officials are currently studying the option of purchasing and implementing an Automated Recycling Center, which could have kept up to 40 percent of that tonnage out of the landfill, according to Vickers.
Stowe said he was proud of the work done by Hall County employees throughout the month.
"I believe we have set an example as a leader in our community for litter pick-up and prevention, quantifying-- in tons-- the need for anti-litter efforts throughout the area," he said. "I'd also like to take this opportunity to commend our Road Maintenance staff for their efforts on this initiative, realizing that their dedication to litter pick-ups is evident year round and not just during a one-day event."
The Hall County Government Spring Cleaning Project was part of a month-long emphasis on litter prevention and clean-up, spearheaded by Keep Hall Beautiful in conjunction with Earth Day on April 24 and the Great American Clean-Up.
To report litter on a County roadway, please contact Hall County Road Maintenance at 770-531-6824.
