Regional Operations Manager

thread-index: AdHRP4ewmOgDZ+D7Rfqxp0Kyy+RP1w==
Thread-Topic: Trash on our state's roads
From: <governor.haley@sc.lmhostediq.com>
To: <governor.haley@sc.lmhostediq.com>
Subject: Trash on our state's roads
Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2016 09:18:16 -0400
Message-ID: <74318000CAE548FABDE106EF13A98837@IQ12>
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<APP>CUSTOM
<PREFIX>Mr</PREFIX>
<FIRST>Joey</FIRST>
<MIDDLE>A</MIDDLE>
<LAST>Ferguson</LAST>
<SUFFIX></SUFFIX>
<TITLE>Regional Operations Manager</TITLE>
<ORGANIZATION>Resource Management Service, LLC</ORGANIZATION>
<ADDR1>9418 Highmarket Street</ADDR1>
<ADDR2></ADDR2>
<CITY>Georgetown</CITY>
<STATE>SC</STATE>
<ZIP>29440</ZIP>
<EMAIL>jferguson@resourcemgt.com</EMAIL>
<PHONE_H></PHONE_H>
<PHONE_B>843-240-2149</PHONE_B>
<ISSUE>ENVI</ISSUE>
<SUBJECT>Trash on our state's roads</SUBJECT>
<CUSTOM1>50.36.0.30</CUSTOM1>
<MSG>
Dear Madam Governor,

First, I wish to thank you and your staff for the wonderful job your team does for South Carolina.  I appreciate your conservatism, drive, commitment, and the focus on your family and families all across our state.

In my profession as a registered Forester, I travel many of our 46 counties.  Unfortunately, I see roadside trash scattered along many of these state and county roads.  One thing I have witnessed, time and time again, is what I believe to be the major contributor to how this trash makes it's way to our roadsides.

That major contributor is usually private pick-up trucks with open beds where trash blows out of the bed routinely.  If you take a look at most of the roadside trash, it's not trash that is thrown out of passenger vehicle windows.  A lot of this stuff is coming from the beds of pickup trucks that are not properly covered while hauling pieces of paper, plastic, aluminum cans cardboard, cartons, etc., that are not secured and blow out, many times unbeknownst to the driver.

I've also witnessed many times large commercial trucks with inadequate covers and debris blowing out onto our roadsides.   I've even noticed commercial trash trucks that scatter papers, plastics, and other debris along our roadways along their routes.

So I believe the greatest contributor to our roadside trash issue is: uncovered pick-up trucks (probably 90% of the problem), and a few commercial vehicles with inadequate covers.

I have always had a cover on my pickup trucks over the years.  I would like to see some kind of legislation that would provide a vehicle owner a tax credit if he/she purchases a semi-permanent hard or soft fitted cover for their pick-up bed.  

Of course we need to pick-up and dispose of the trash that is currently on our roads and to help with that, I believe we need some kind of incentive that, if enacted,  would benefit underserved and some of our poorer communities.  Something like a "cash for trash" initiative that everyone across the state could get behind.  Every bag of trash, or every pound of trash, whatever the measure, could be exchanged for a voucher at the local county dump or nearest convenience station  that could ultimately be redeemed by the county. The redemption payment could be directed to charitable organizations or other community needs.   So instead of picking-up just aluminum cans and leaving the rest (as some folks do now because of the price of aluminum), with a "cash for trash" program, folks would be picking up everything.  We should place renewed emphasis on the "adopt a highway" program and require that program as a prerequisite for the 'cash for trash' program.  That way, we know that roadside trash is being picked-up and not trash from other sources.

I appreciate your time and the time of your staff.  I've had this on my mind for a while and thought I would share my observations, ideas, and thoughts.  We need to get serious about getting the trash up and preventing further trash from being deposited on our roadways.  Let's get behind this in a big way.  We surely don't want our visitors to be turned-off by our ugly roadsides.

Warmest regards,
Joey A. Ferguson


</MSG>

</APP>