CLEAN WATER TIPS

Concrete is a mixture of cement, water, and aggregate material. Portland cement is made by heating a mixture of limestone and clay containing oxides of calcium, aluminum, silicon and other metals in a kiln and then pulverizing the resulting clinker. The fine aggregate particles are usually sand. Coarse aggregate is generally gravel or crushed stone. When cement is mixed with water, a chemical reaction called hydration occurs, which produces glue that binds the aggregates together.

 

Concrete Washout:

After concrete is poured at a construction site, the chutes of ready mixed concrete trucks and hoppers of concrete pump trucks must be washed out to remove the remaining concrete before it hardens. Equipment such as wheelbarrows and hand tools also need to be washed down. At the end of each work day, the drums of concrete trucks must be washed out. This is customarily done at the ready mixed batch plants, which are usually off-site facilities, however large or rural construction projects may have on-site batch plants. Cementitious (having the properties of cement) washwater and solids also come from using such construction materials as mortar, plaster, stucco, and grout.

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Human and Environmental Impacts of Concrete:

Concrete washout water (or washwater) is a slurry containing toxic metals. It’s also caustic and corrosive, having a pH near 12. In comparison, Drano liquid drain cleaner has a pH of 13.5. Caustic washwater can harm fish gills and eyes and interfere with reproduction. The safe pH ranges for aquatic life habitats are 6.5 – 9 for freshwater and 6.5 – 8.5 for saltwater. Construction workers should handle wet concrete and washout water with care because it may cause skin irritation and eye damage. If the washwater is dumped on the ground, it can run off the construction site to adjoining roads and enter roadside storm drains, which discharge to surface waters such as rivers, lakes, or estuaries. Leaking washwater, shown in the foreground, will likely follow similar  paths to nearby surface waters. Rainfall may cause concrete washout containers that are uncovered to overflow and also transport the washwater to surface waters. Rainwater polluted with concrete washwater can percolate down through the soil and alter the soil chemistry, inhibit plant growth, and contaminate the groundwater. Its high pH can increase the toxicity of other substances in the surface waters and soils.

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Source: EPA

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TENNESSEE LITTER LAWS

 

Section 39-14-503. (a) Mitigated criminal littering is littering in an amount less than or equal to five pounds (5 lbs.) in weight or seven and one-half (7.5) cubic feet in volume. 

• criminal littering is a Class C misdemeanor punishable by a fine of fifty dollars ($50.00)

Section 39-14-504. (a) Criminal littering is littering in an amount more than five pounds (5 lbs.) in weight or seven and one-half (7.5) cubic feet in volume and less than or equal to ten pounds (10 Ibs.) in weight or fifteen (15) cubic feet in volume.

• littering is a Class B misdemeanor, up to a $500 fine

• In addition to the penalties established in this section, the court shall require a person convicted under this part to remove litter from the state or local highway system, public playgrounds, public parks or other appropriate public locations for not more than eighty (80) hours. The court, in its discretion, may also a person convicted under this section to work in a recycling center or other appropriate location for any stated period of time not to exceed eight (8) hours.

Section 39-14-505. (a) Aggravated criminal littering is littering:

• In an amount exceeding ten pounds (10 lbs.) in weight or fifteen (15) cubic feet in volume; or

• In any amount for any commercial purpose

•  Aggravated criminal littering is a Class A misdemeanor, except in the following circumstances, in which case it is a Class E felony, up to a $1,500 fine.

 

Tennessee Toll-Free Litter Hotline
1-877-8-LITTER PROVIDES MOTORISTS A WAY TO REPORT LITTER BUGS

Tennesseans who are tired of trash along state roadways now have a new tool to report litter bugs. The Tennessee Department of Transportation announced today a new toll-free litter hotline, 1-877-8-LITTER (877-854-8837). The litter hotline is part of the statewide anti-litter campaign. The hotline provides a way for Tennesseans to report people they witness littering along the state’s roadways, such as a person throwing a paper cup or cigarette butt out of a window, or an item falling from an unsecured load.

“The new toll-free litter hotline gives citizens the ability to Stop It,” said TDOT Commissioner Gerald Nicely. “Now anyone who witnesses a person littering can report it and trigger action to improve the quality of the environment and the cleanliness of our roadways. Tennessee has some of the best roads in the nation. With everyone’s help, we can have some of the cleanest, too.”

Citizens who witness a litter bug in action can call 1-877-8-LITTER (877-854-8837). Callers will reach a recording that asks them to provide information about the vehicle. The information that will be requested includes:

• license plate number (Tennessee plates only)

• type and make of the vehicle

• day and time the incident occurred

• location where the incident occurred

• the type of item tossed or blown from the vehicle

TDOT will mail a letter to the registered owner of the vehicle along with a car trash bag or portable ashtray and other anti-litter information. The letter is a gentle reprimand reminding the recipient that littering is against the law and punishable by a fine of up to $1500.

 

Click here for more information.

https://nobodytrashestennessee.com/the-top-roadside-litter-laws-you-should-know-in-tennessee/