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Kitsap man takes 600 pictures of trash amid state's cleanup stalemate

A KIRO 7 Investigation revealed why highway trash is increasing, especially along the Interstate 5 corridor.

After that report first aired, a Kitsap County man contacted KIRO 7 because he said he’s been fighting the same problem on the peninsula.

For the past two years, Skip Junis has taken more than 600 photos of trash along state highways in Kitsap County.

Many of those images are now in his self-published book.

“When you look at these pictures and just look at the conditions of the side of the road,” Junis told KIRO 7, “trash is worse and worse and worse.”

Junis started recording litter images after taking a cross-country bike trip.

“Washington was the dirtiest state of any state we crossed in the United States” he said.

>> Read and watch reporter Amy Clancy’s full investigation here.

According to the Washington State Department of Transportation, trash on state roads is worse than ever because of our growing population, the time of year and less volunteer help during the winter.

KIRO 7’s Investigation also revealed an ongoing stalemate with the Department of Corrections, which prevents prison inmates from cleaning-up state roadsides for the first time in nearly 20-years.

Kitsap County’s Recycling Director told KIRO 7 there's another big reason.

“I think the main issue comes down to the funding available,” Chris Piercy said from his office near Bremerton.  “The litter fund at the state level hasn’t been whole for about eight years.”

According to the Washington State Department of Ecology's website, $24 million has been cut from the state's overall litter account between 2009 and 2015.  That's about 40% of the total litter budget.

Kitsap County has its own crews -- including county jail inmates -- to clean county roads.

However, litter along state highways through Kitsap County continue to be a big problem.

“Highway 3 and Highway 16 are the corridors that bring people to Kitsap County," Piercy told KIRO 7. "They’re the first impression. If you see a dirty highway coming into a place like Kitsap County, it’s going to be off-putting.”

>> See photos here

Junis was more direct: “It’s appalling that the State of Washington has let this happen,” he said.  “More important, it’s appalling that the residents of the State of Washington are letting this happen.  Where are the residents?  Why are they not raising heck?”

>> Follow this link to see how to join the adopt a highway program.

In 2016, DOC work crews removed 143,740 pounds of litter and illegal dumping at encampments in King County alone, according to DOC Communications Director Jeremy Barclay.

However, those crews haven't been on the job --- anywhere in the state --- for the past six months.

Without a resolution to House Bill 1227, it's not clear which agency would be responsible if something went wrong.

The Washington State Department of Transportation budgets at least $4 million gas-tax dollars a year for litter cleanup; a cost that is slowly escalating for a problem that is mostly preventable.

>> Related: Litter program budget questions and answers