Here's what was collected between Jan. 22 and March 3 from a more than two-mile stretch of bike trail roughly from I-5 in Orange to Ball Road in Anaheim, according to OC Public Works spokesman Shannon Widor:
- 404 tons of debris
- 13,950 needles (approximate number based on what disposal containers hold)
- 5,279 pounds of hazardous waste (human waste, propane, pesticides and other materials)
More than 700 people were living in the encampments when they were dismantled in late February. Most of those people are being housed temporarily in local motels while county outreach workers assess their need for services and housing.
The bike trail cleanup is the beginning of an environmental remediation effort that was expected to include the removal of 2 to 3 inches of soil in the project area and tree trimming. Planned improvements on the bike trail from Katella to Ball Road/Taft Avenue also could include sealing cracks and applying a slurry seal, Widor said.
Theresa Walker is a Southern California native who has been a staff writer at The Orange County Register since 1992. She specializes in human interest stories and social issues, such as homelessness. She also covers nonprofits and philanthropy in Orange County. She loves telling stories about ordinary people who do the extraordinary in their communities.
Comment: The problem of homelessness in California (which happens to have one of the largest economies in the US) has reached a critical stage, and the state's civil leaders are scrambling to address the myriad of problems the state is faced with - but the way to achieve this is anything but clear.