Even if you don’t give a hoot, several states are increasing fines to make sure you don’t pollute.
In response to a growing number of “pee bombs” – bottles filled with urine or other human waste and discarded on the side of the road – legislators and law enforcement officials from around the country are bumping up the cost of leaving the dangerous material behind.
“As soon as you look for it you’ll see it,” Megan Warfield, litter programs coordinator at the Washington Department of Ecology, told MSNBC. “You just see them glistening in the sun. It’s just gross.”
Washington is just one state that has reinforced its stance on the nasty parting gifts with a bigger citation. In 2002, the state bumped its fine up to $1,025, much higher than the $95 fine for general littering.
More recently, Colorado also increased its price for toxic litterers. Instead of paying $35, violators will face fines of $500.
Indiana has taken a different approach to keeping human waste off of roadsides. Instead of increasing the fine for pee bombs, they’re keeping drivers away from roadsides altogether. The Indiana State Patrol increased its fines for parking on the sides of roads – including on- and off-ramps – to $500, compared to a previous fine of $80 to $150.
“Our people are finding urine bottles and human waste and trash,” Maj. Ed Reuter of the Indiana State Patrol told Land Line. “The ramps are breaking down.”