Blogger Follows the North End Trash Trail
Wednesday, March 3, 2010 The North End’s Adam Balsam stirs up the trash issue by photographing a trail of violations in how folks are putting out their garbage. Adam reports:
“I took a picture of every bag/box/large piece of trash I saw … 100% non-compliance. Every one of the properties with trash out at 8PM between Commercial CT (where I live) and Shop MFI (on Lower Salem) was in violation of the Green Ticket Bill and are subject to fines between $25 and $40.” (See his full report with photos.)
Adam mentions my previous post on this trash violation, and asks why we have these trash ordinances if there is no enforcement.
WBZ-TV picked up on Adam’s story with their video report featuring him along with Aaron Michlewitz who discusses the recently passed Green Ticket law that is intended to increase compliance.
Of course, anyone that has attended the monthly NEWRA Clean Streets Committee meetings knows the problem is not so easy to solve. There also is a lot of confusion in the neighborhood on the specifics of the ordinances. For example, CVS-style bags are not allowed, but what about the white kitchen bags? The next Clean Streets meeting is March 16, 7:00 pm at the Nazzaro Center, 30 N. Bennet St. and open to anyone willing to help work on these issues with public officials and city agencies.
All the attention on the issue may have sparked some enforcement, at least in the short-term. According to this thread on the NEWMA parents Google Group, Inspectional Services was seen giving out green tickets this week.
