Fairhope, Alabama – Litter is an ongoing problem in Fairhope.
“I think when people come into Fairhope, they see how tidy our community is, but really there is some litter that — of course, plastics and those kinds of things — that (is) not biodegradable. They get into our water system, so we want to stop those before they get there,” said Fairhope Mayor Sherry Sullivan.
To combat the litter issues, 12 new devices will be installed across the city, including one in an area known as Big Mouth Gulley. The devices can catch each item before it enters a storm drain.
“…It’s like a colander almost. It’s a contraption that sits in the storm drain that captures those things that are litter,” Sullivan said.
Once installed, the devices will be regularly emptied each month, Sullivan said. Some of the items collected will be recycled when possible.
One of the devices will be installed near city hall, but the exact locations for others are still being considered.
“They’ll look at those high-litter areas like Oak Avenue and Section Street — some of those areas downtown where we’ll be able to track that litter before it gets into the bay,” said Sullivan.
A litter boom was installed last year near Morphy Avenue to help fight the problem, and now these new devices will add to the efforts as other parts of the city start collecting items, too.
The project will be funded through a GOMESA grant, under the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006.
This story originally appeared on WKRG News 5 by Blake Brown. View the original story online here.