Thousands of volunteers will be roadside across West Virginia on Apr. 30 during the annual Adopt-A-Highway spring litter cleanup.
The Adopt-A-Highway program is a partnership between the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) and the West Virginia Department of Transportation’s Division of Highways (WVDOH).
In 2015, Adopt-A-Highway spring cleanup included more than 10,000 volunteers with more than 760 organizations. The volunteers collectively spent more than 80,000 hours picking up approximately 17,000 bags of trash.
Organizations can still register to take part in the Adopt-A-Highway spring cleanup. However, there are several guidelines that must be followed during cleanup events:
• Volunteers must be at least 12 years old to participate in the program.
• Adopting groups must clean adopted roads with their own membership and may not subcontract the work.
• Adopted roads must be two continuous miles long. Roads that are not adoptable are two separate one-mile sections, one mile on each side of a highway, or T-shaped or L-shaped sections.
• Adoptions are for two years and are renewable.
• Litter must be picked up at least three times a year, at least 30 days apart, and each cleanup must be reported.
• Adopters must notify the Division of Highways county garage three days prior to each cleanup.
• All volunteers are required to watch the Adopt-A-Highway Safety Video prior to picking up litter.
• Safety vests furnished by the state must be worn by all volunteers during cleanups.
• “Litter Cleanup Ahead” signs must be posted during cleanups.
• Volunteers are encouraged to recycle items found on roadsides.
To sign up to take part in the Adopt-A-Highway spring cleanup, visit the DEP’s website at http://www.dep.wv.gov/dlr/reap/aah/pages/default.aspx. Volunteers can also call 1-800-322-5530 or email the DEP at dep.aah@wv.gov.