Commuters on Highway 101 through Marin County might have noticed more garbage than usual lining the highway during these past months.
Caltrans, which is responsible for keeping its right of way clear of garbage and litter, says it has had to shift priorities during the coronavirus pandemic.
“Caltrans plays an essential role by keeping goods moving to market, maintaining access to medical facilities and continuing safe highway operations,” La-Tanga Hopes, a Caltrans District 4 representative, wrote in an email. “Department maintenance crews are still reporting to handle hazards, safety concerns and other critical functions on the highways, however the department is deferring some non-essential tasks to limit the exposure to COVID-19. Construction crews are still working on Caltrans projects while maintaining social distancing.”
Nonetheless, Caltrans is obligated to keep litter from its jurisdiction out of San Francisco Bay and other waterways.
Last year, the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board issued an order requiring the agency to prevent trash pollution on 8,800 acres or more of its right-of-way and properties by June 30, 2026. Caltrans must also meet benchmarks in between to demonstrate its progress. The first benchmark of 2,000 acres, due on June 30, is on track to be met, according to state officials.
In addition, Caltrans was required to submit a work plan and create a map identifying all the problematic littering areas across its 25,000 acres of right of way and property in the region. In Marin, portions of Highway 101 in southern Novato near Ignacio were identified as high-priority areas.
“We want to solve the problem, not just count acres,” said Thomas Mumley, assistant executive officer of the water quality board. “As you see as you drive the highway, and as I do, there is a problem. It’s pretty evident.”
Littering has been an issue during the coronavirus pandemic, not only along state highways but also at commercial properties. Masks and gloves being found on the ground are becoming more and more common, Mumley said.
Mumley said Caltrans and other local governments are responsible for addressing pollution in their jurisdictions.
“Caltrans is, by law, responsible for water quality associated with runoff from the highway, so they have that obligation, as does the city of San Rafael and Sausalito,” Mumley said.
Unlike other communities in the Bay Area, those in the North Bay are not required to install trash capturing equipment at stormwater drains. But that is set to change later this year, Mumley said.
The trash control methods can differ depending on the area, ranging from basket-like structures to large tanks that are able to capture the trash before it reaches the ocean. But these measures also come at “great cost,” sometimes in the hundreds of thousands of dollars per acre, Mumley said. The screens and baskets also have to be cleared regularly to prevent highways from flooding.
To ease the cost burden, Mumley said Caltrans is able to partner with local municipalities to offset the costs and enter mutually beneficial agreements now that the North Bay is set to be under more scrutiny.
But trash capturing devices can only go so far. Human behavior is at the root of most of the problem.
“These trash capture systems aren’t solving the problem. They’re a Band-Aid,” Mumley said. “If we’re blaming Caltrans, we’re blaming ourselves.”
The environmental organization Save the Bay, which had been calling for the state order against Caltrans for years, does not think the agency’s work plan is sufficient enough to address the problem.
Others such as Kent Heibak of Kentfield are tired of seeing the garbage and litter day after day. Heibak said he’s tried to bring the Highway 101 trash issue to the attention of Caltrans officials and governors Gavin Newsom and Jerry Brown for a few years, but received no response.
“I never heard anything back and I never have seen any improvement,” Heibak said. “I think, when they’re finally there, they do an OK job. It’s just that they’re not out there very much and there is probably not enough of those workers.”
