San Rafael, CA – Beyond being an eyesore, the trash that litters the highways of Marin negatively impacts all levels of the environment, contaminating animal habitats, polluting the waterways and eventually reaching the ocean. The
Marin County Stormwater Pollution Prevention Program (MCSTOPPP) is collaborating with local partners to help eliminate roadway debris at a Tarp Your Load event on Wednesday, April 26.
The public event will educate attendees on the importance of using a tarp on truck beds to significantly reduce the environmental damage caused by roadway debris. Attendees will receive free tarps for their uncovered loads as well as learn about California’s law requiring secure truck loads. The event will take place at
Marin Sanitary Service, located at 565 Jacoby Street, San Rafael, from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
MCSTOPPP is a joint effort by the County of Marin and Marin’s cities and towns to reduce pollutants from washing off urban areas into storm drains, creeks, bays and the ocean. Much of the trash and debris on Marin’s highways comes from trucks hauling unsecured loads, which may fall out and create unsightly and potentially unsafe conditions. The goal of the Tarp Your Load program is to keep local roadways clean through awareness, education and enforcement of state and local littering laws.
“We need to get the word out that properly securing your load is the responsible thing to do,” said Terri Fashing, Stormwater Program Administrator. “Not only is it the law, but it protects our environment.”
Partners for this event include
Marin Clean Highways,
California Highway Patrol,
Caltrans, Marin Sanitary Service, Marin County Supervisors Kathrin Sears and Damon Connolly, Senator Mike McGuire, and Assemblyman Marc Levine. The event is sponsored in part by Jackson’s Hardware, San Rafael McDonald’s, and Marin Builders Association.
To volunteer in this effort, please contact
Angela Clapp at MCSTOPPP. To learn about the many ways you can reduce pollutants in our waterways, visit the
MCSTOPPP website. For information on past events, visit
Marin Clean Highways.
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All public meetings and events sponsored or conducted by the County of Marin are held at accessible sites. If you are a person with a disability and require information or materials in alternative formats – or if you require accommodation to participate in a county program, service or activity – please contact department staff at least five days in advance of the event at (415) 473-7331 or (415) 473-4381 (voice/TTY) or e-mail
disabilityaccess@marincounty.org.