School is out, and so are 60 Central Washington youth who have been hired to pick up litter this summer.
For many of the teens, aged 14-17, this is their first job.
Statewide, 320 teens are part of Ecology Youth Corps (EYC) crews working three to four-week stints cleaning up highways and roadsides.
The Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology), which operates the litter cleanup program, urges motorists to use extra caution when they see the orange "Ecology youth working" signs along state highways.
"These young people work extremely hard in very tough conditions." said Rod Hankinson, who coordinates the EYC crews in seven of Central Washington counties. "Most kids talk about helping the environment but these kids are actually doing something about it. We are asking the motoring public to please slow down when they see the orange signs and crews along the road. We're proud of the work our youth crews do to help keep our environment clean."
Ecology Youth Corps crews in Central Washington will be working on interstates and state routes in Chelan, Douglas, Kittitas, Benton, Klickitat and Yakima counties.
Last year, the EYC collected more than 1 million pounds of litter from roadsides and medians across the state. The young people earn $8.07 per hour. The program is supported by a tax on items that contribute to the litter problem.
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