CHESAPEAKE – The City of Chesapeake has launched a new anti-litter campaign aimed at combating this all too common problem today in cities across the globe. City Manager William Harrell and his Litter Task Force are educating citizens and business to be more responsible for their surroundings and help “Keep Chesapeake Beautiful” for years to come.

From cigarette butts in the left-hand turn lanes to couches in retention ponds, the Litter Task Force plans to leave no stone unturned when it comes to cleaning up the City.

The mission of the Litter Task Force: educate citizens and business to be more responsible for their surroundings by participating in regular clean-ups and reminding them about garbage and litter laws; take a tougher stance on violators by instituting higher fines and penalties and upholding the law in court; put the Sheriff’s Office’s “weekenders” to work cleaning out ditches and retention ponds; reinvigorate the City’s Adopt-A-Highway and Adopt-A-Spot programs; and promote the many ongoing litter clean-up efforts of the Chesapeake Environmental Improvement Council and HRClean.

Out on the street there are already changes underway. The Public Works Department has added new street sweepers to its fleet of machines. “Keep Chesapeake Beautiful,” the slogan for the new anti-litter campaign, now adorns the City’s garbage trucks. Be on the look-out for new public service announcements set to air on WCTV-48 and online at CityofChesapeake.net.

The Litter Task Force is encouraging people to call the Police Department’s non-emergency phone number, 382-6161, to report illegal littering or dumping in progress.

It is the hope of the Litter Task Force that a little bit of awareness and work by residents and businesses will help “Keep Chesapeake Beautiful” for future generations.

For more information, contact Mark S. Cox, APR Director of Public Communications; 382-6241