Opinion: Water board should force Caltrans to stop trashing the Bay

The ongoing failure of Caltrans to stop litter blighting Bay Area communities, flowing into local creeks and San Francisco Bay recently prompted San Jose Vice Mayor Chappie Jones to describe our trash-filled local highways “a hot mess.”

Trash on our state roads isn’t just an eyesore. It blows into surrounding neighborhoods, adding to the air and noise pollution they already suffer. And it washes down storm drains that funnel plastic, Styrofoam and other trash to the Bay, where it poisons fish and wildlife and smothers sensitive wetlands.

Larger trash in the Bay can choke or strangle seals. When herons, pelicans or other birds eat plastic it may fill their stomachs until they starve. And toxics leaching from discarded cigarette buts and plastic pieces can poison fish and concentrate up the food chain.

While regulation has reduced some industry and sewage pollution in the Bay since the 1960s, state and federal environmental protection agencies haven’t strictly enforced the Clean Water Act’s requirements to reduce urban stormwater runoff in the Bay Area. That has allowed Caltrans trash pollution to continue for years.

In 2012, the State Water Board issued Caltrans a permit requiring specific trash pollution reductions from the state highway system, and in 2015 the Board issued updated permit requirements that all trash discharges be eliminated within 10 years. But Caltrans dragged its feet and after six years of inaction, the San Francisco Regional Water Board took unprecedented action in 2019, ordering the state transportation agency to “cease-and-desist” violations of its stormwater permit by removing and screening road trash.

Caltrans still isn’t doing enough to stop this pollution.

While Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Clean California initiative creates photo ops promoting clean highways, he hasn’t forced Caltrans’ to obey the law and prevent trash pollution of the Bay. Trash flowing from highways actually makes it harder and more expensive for cities to meet their own trash pollution reduction targets. It’s not fair to allow Caltrans to skirt federal law when cities with limited budgets are working to find solutions. That’s why mayors and city councilmembers have appealed for faster state action to spare their residents and creeks from this scourge.

This year is the 50th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, which has done so much to protect water quality. But when it comes to trash pollution from our local highways, we still have a long way to go. It’s time for stronger action by the Regional Water Board — requiring Caltrans to install more devices that screen trash from stormwater, and increase maintenance programs that stop trash from accumulating on highways and ramps. The Board meets on October 12, to discuss Caltrans continuing violations.

State roads in the Bay Area shouldn’t be expressways for trash pollution into the Bay and our neighborhoods. Caltrans isn’t making it a priority to comply with the Clean Water Act, so it’s up to the Water Board to force Caltrans to finally obey the law.

David Lewis is executive director of Save The Bay.