As part of its mission to help Orange County achieve a balanced and sustainable future, OCTA is investing nearly $3 million to improve water quality from Fullerton to San Clemente.
The funds come from OC Go, the half-cent sales tax renewed by Orange County voters in 2006 for transportation improvements. OC Go, also known as Measure M, includes funding for OCTA’s Environmental Cleanup Program that awards money on a competitive basis to cities and the county for projects that reduce the impacts of water pollution related to transportation.
“Protecting the county’s natural resources, while at the same time improving our transportation network, is a key promise made to voters through Measure M, and this is another good example of fulfilling that promise by keeping our water clean,” said OCTA Chairman Steve Jones, also the mayor of Garden Grove.
The OCTA board approved $2.8 million available for 12 projects focused on removing visible pollutants, such as litter and debris, from roads before they reach waterways and the ocean. These projects include purchasing or upgrading screens, filters and inserts for catch basins, as well as other devices designed to remove pollutants.
The cities that received funding include Anaheim, Costa Mesa, Fullerton, Irvine, Laguna Hills, Laguna Woods, Mission Viejo, Newport Beach, Orange, Placentia, San Clemente and Yorba Linda.
Since the Environmental Cleanup Program began in 2011, OCTA has provided funding for 177 projects totaling just more than $25 million. It is estimated that more than 33 million gallons of trash has since been captured as a result of the installation of these devices. For more information about the program, visit here.