The San Diego Uninion-Tribune. (2023, May 29). 580 tons of trash removed from San Diego homeless encampments. Retrieved August 11, 2023, from https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/homelessness/story/2023-05-29/daily-services-has-removed-580-tons-of-trash-from-encampments

The city of San Diego started a hot spot program where in the first seven months they were able to collect 580 tons of trash. The trash was collected on the streets and in homeless encampments. The program requires people to temporarily move all their possessions away from the sidewalks and roads as that is where the cleaning crews are going to come and clean everything that they can. There were multiple sides to the cleaning as some homeless people thought the workers were doing a good thing and some believed they were stealing their belongings.

As noted, the homeless encampments are making trash problems and air pollution problems even worse. They are increasing the amount of air pollution so this program is trying to help out the environment. I think this program is a great thing as they are really helping decrease air pollution from people who may not have the ability to throw something away in a trash can. The text says “We’re looking at things like their purses, their wallets, their keys,” and this demonstrates how the cleaning crews are not just taking anything they find but are actually trying to take the things that could end up hurting the environment. 

Harris Personal Injury. (2023, April 06). Californians Cleaning Up Roadways and Local Streets. Retrieved August 10, 2023, from https://harrispersonalinjury.com/californians-cleaning-up-roadways-and-local-streets/#

The California Department of Transportation organized a highway and road cleanup in over 600 different places in an 11-day span. This event created thousands of jobs and engaged the communities to help transform their public spaces. Over the 11-day span, 10,500 volunteers helped clean up trash which totalled 64 million pounds. This program since 2021 has 1.45 million cubic yards of trash on state highways. The decrease in trash on the highways has already begun to keep the roads safer for all drivers as they no longer swerve or make immediate stops.

Cleaning up highways and roadways is helping the environment by keeping the animals safe and also keeping people safe. Having the streets clean can also prevent soil and water pollution. Also, with the reduction of trash, we help lessen the amount of harmful particles and air pollution. It is nice to have people cleaning up the highways and roads in so many places because they are really preventing a growth in air pollution. Not only that but they are also keeping plastics and trash out of the ocean as we in California are as close as it gets to the water.

CBS News. (2023, April 15). Volunteers came together for the 33rd annual ‘Great LA River Cleanup.’ Retrieved August 10, 2023, from https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/volunteers-come-together-for-the-33rd-annual-great-la-river-clean-up/

Every year the LA River cleanup gathers thousands of volunteers. Volunteers come from all over to help clean up a span of 51 miles and allow the river to be much more attractive. They were able to clean 50,000 pounds of trash and plastic out of the river. This is now known as the largest urban river cleanup in the country. The volunteers also clean trash out of the trees along the river and help with habitat restoration.

As the amount of trash is decreasing in the LA River, it is helping decrease the water pollution. This makes an overall healthier environment and improves the ecosystem. By removing the trash, it can also decrease the amount of chemicals that are being let out into the water. It is good to see that people will come from different places to clean and protect a river that is full of trash.

Los Angeles Times. (2023, June 5). Editorial: Cleaning up California’s oil fields may cost $21.5 billion. Taxpayers shouldn’t get the bill. Retrieved August 8, 2023, from https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2023-06-05/la-ed-oil-cleanup-costs-california-billions

Companies that are responsible for idle wells and tanks are facing challenges. They have fallen short on money by $15 billion and believe the way to obtain that money is through taxpayer funding. California’s Department of Conservation Geologic Energy program raised concerns about the priority of needing to pump oil out due to it releasing methane,  greenhouse gasses, and health-damaging air pollution. A carbon tracking report found that the oil companies overestimated their funding needs. Public officials are ensuring that oil companies are held accountable for their mistakes.

With the release of methane and greenhouse gasses, the air is being polluted and creating a health risk. Along with this problem created by the oil companies, overestimating the amount of money they were going to need from the taxpayers seems very unjust due to the effects it has on environmental health. The Department of Conservation Geological Energy Program claims to be exploring a 2019 Law. This law would set aside $30 million per operator. Knowing this, the taxpayers would still need to pay taxes toward the oil spills but with the amount of money they are gaining from this 2019 Law, it would be more balanced and reasonable. I think it is great to see the steps that have been taken to address the environmental concerns. The idea of the 2019 Law acquiring $30 million is great as it will further help the environment and also benefit the taxpayers.

Briscoe, T. (2023, February 20). California’s biggest environmental cleanup leaves lead contamination and frustration. Retrieved by August 7, 2023, from https://phys.org/news/2023-02-california-biggest-environmental-cleanup-contamination.html#google_vignette

The failure of a $750 million California environmental clean-up project to remove lead from the soil in the yards of southeast Los Angeles residents has left questions on the department’s ability to keep the residents safe. Six years after the clean-up, a group of researchers at the University of Southern California and Occidental College found an exceeding amount of lead in the soil that had passed the California threshold. The Department of Toxic Substances claims to have addressed the issues and is pressing forward on removing lead from 1,500 properties by 2025. 

The contamination of lead from the plant has been hurting not only the environment but also the people of southeast Los Angeles County. Families are not allowing their young children to even leave their homes so they won’t breathe in the toxic air that they have already been dealing with. This toxic air can be especially harmful to young children and to people who are already not healthy. The Department of Toxic Substances is working on this environmental cleanup by removing all lead from the soil to allow the residents to have a safe and healthy breathing life. It is great to see that the city is cleaning the lead from the soil to give the residents their life back. However, the Department of Toxic Substances will hopefully be able to figure out a better way to stop the plant from having a lead leak again than just laying concrete over contaminated soil. 

The Free Oyster Harbor Cleanup & Marine Education Expo event offers both a cleanup opportunity and educational experience. People can participate in the cleanup of Oyster harbor while also participating in marine-focused educational activities. This event is to promote environmental awareness and restoration, combining hands-on cleanup efforts with informative sessions to foster a deeper understanding of marine ecosystems and their preservation.

This is an example of a town promoting their beach clean-up day because even the smaller efforts can make a difference. Once people are out there restoring the ecosystems, they are given a chance to learn more about marine wildlife and hopefully inspire them to care about the wildlife in their area.  

Town of Oyster Bay. (2023, April 14). Free Oyster Harbor Cleanup & Marine Education expo. Town of Oyster Bay. https://oysterbaytown.com/free-oyster-harbor-cleanup-marine-education-expo/ 

The 354th Fighter Wing Air Force has initiated an outreach campaign to promote environmental cleanup operations. Through extensive engagement, the wing aims to gather strong support for many cleanup efforts. This approach highlights the wing’s dedication to effective environmental management, emphasizing community involvement and cooperation to complete successful cleanup operations.

The Air Force has also made it a priority to get the community involved. This issue is getting national attention from all groups around the world. Environmental restoration is key because of the impact pollution and contamination has had the last 20 years. Not only do we need to help the future, but also fix the past.

AFIMSC. (2023, June 23). 354th fighter wing launches broad outreach effort in support of environmental cleanup oper. Eielson Air Force Base. https://www.eielson.af.mil/News/Features/Display/Article/3437563/354th-fighter-wing-launches-broad-outreach-effort-in-support-of-environmental-c/ 

The Army’s Environmental Restoration Program is effectively restoring polluted areas. By targeting polluted sites, the program is planning successful revitalization efforts. This plan signifies the Army’s commitment to restoring the environment and repurposing once-polluted areas, showcasing a great stride towards better land management.

The Army is also contributing and demonstrating attempts to preserve, restore and fix harmed lands by pollution through clean-ups. This kind of evidence on a national level shows that it does not matter how much you have, everyone must help preserve ecosystems.

Hurd. (2023, February 23). Army’s environmental restoration program revitalizes contaminated lands. www.army.mil. https://www.army.mil/article/264209/armys_environmental_restoration_program_revitalizes_contaminated_lands 

Cleanup operations at the oil discharge site near Washington, KS, are moving towards restoration efforts. At first there were minimal clean-up changes, the focus is now shifting to restoring the affected area. This shift signifies a move towards long-term environmental recovery, demonstrating progress in addressing the effects of the oil discharge incident.

Once again the operations regarding maintaining ecosystems in the area get the public involved with environmental clean-ups directly applying to the topic. There is a lot of dedication from the workers that improve the life at the creek where the oil is infected. 

Ashford. (2023, May 17). Cleanup Operations at Oil Discharge Scene Near Washington, Kansas, Shift to Restoration. EPA. https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/cleanup-operations-oil-discharge-scene-near-washington-kansas-shift-restoration 

The Toms River cleanup agreement has increased funds and additional land. The deal which is addressing environmental contamination, has resulted in a larger financial distribution and expanded land resources for better cleanup. This development is a great step towards effectively ending pollution concerns in Toms River.

The Toms River in New Jersey is in need of cleaning, so an agreement has been made to put efforts into cleaning up the pollution in the river and conserving the natural body of water. This is environmental cleaning and in doing so, they are restoring the wildlife that lives in the river’s ecosystem. 

NJ finalizes bigger settlement for Toms River Cleanup | NJ spotlight news. NJ Spotlight News. (2023, August 17) https://www.njspotlightnews.org/2023/08/toms-river-cleanup-settlement-finalized-ciba-geigy-basf/