PalmettoPride announced Bamberg County Litter Enforcement Department (BCLED) as a recipient of the $5,000 Litter Enforcement Grant at the beginning of 2016.

 “Last year when we received this grant, it helped to offset many costs associated with starting this new department. Receiving this grant again, for the second year in a row, is only going to help us achieve more goals,” said Bill Johnson, Bamberg County Code Enforcement Director. Johnson continued to say, “David has investigated more than 40 litter cases throughout Bamberg County, and his job will ultimately assist in changing the economic impact of Bamberg County in a positive light.

David Harley, Bamberg County Litter Officer, on a daily basis patrols for litter and uncovered loads, conducts surveillance of litter spots, and investigates illegal dumpsites.

 “Whenever we begin a new litter case, for example on an illegal dumpsite, one of the first steps we take is to find the owner of the litter. If we are able to locate that subject, we will then contact that person to perform a mandatory cleanup, or they will face a fine and community service, in which they will be court ordered to clean up litter,” explained Officer Harley. “If an owner cannot be found I contact Mallory with Keep Bamberg County Beautiful or the local South Carolina Department of Transportation office to conduct a cleanup. At this point in time, we will use cameras, purchased with grant money from PalmettoPride, to conduct a more thorough investigation of the area.”

Officer Harley reported, “Over the weekend we were contacted by a Bamberg County resident concerning 29 bags of trash illegally dumped on private property. We did an investigation and were able to find the owner of the litter. The owners were contacted and came to clean up the area. Unfortunately, not all cases are this simple. There are locations throughout the County, like Carlisle Street, Spring Branch Road and Accumulator Road and Locust Street, under ongoing investigations.”

Johnson and Harley explained without grant funds from PalmettoPride, the job conducted by the two of them would not be accomplished.

“When we check for the grant recipient announcements on PalmettoPride’s website, it is always such a blessing when we see, “Bamberg County.” Without PalmettoPride, we would not have been able to accomplish so much. They have been there from the start of Keep Bamberg County Beautiful, from the start of the Litter Enforcement Department, and we know they will be with us every step of the way as we continue to make Bamberg County Litter Free,” said Mallory Biering, Keep Bamberg County Beautiful Director.

The grant was written by Biering with the assistance of Johnson and Harley. Many hours were spent researching for the best priced materials to ensure this grant money would be spent locally and efficiently. The grant will be used to purchase equipment for the department and will cover the cost of Johnson and Harley to attend the South Carolina Litter Association Conference in February.

“Our Litter Enforcement Department has and will continue to help us with our economic impact to the county. Litter, on both public and private property, is a source of environmental degradation and blight, and in some situations may constitute a public safety hazard. Mr. Harley, Mr. Johnson and Ms. Biering work on a daily basis to make Bamberg County beautiful and litter free. I speak for the rest of council when I say we applaud their efforts. We would also like to thank PalmettoPride for their continued support. Without you all, we would not be achieving the goals we are achieving today. Again, thank you for selecting us as a recipient of the Litter Enforcement Grant,” said Bamberg County Council Chairman Joe Guess.

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