PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — $10 million in new state funding can now be used to help clean up dumped garbage in Portland.
Gov. Kate Brown approved the funding which will be used to clean up public spaces in the metro.
Nearly 75% of the funding will be directed toward cleanup programs, specifically bettering current services and developing new.
Meanwhile, the Metro said the remaining funds will be allocated toward installing sharps boxes, replacing vegetation and signage, reducing graffiti and fencing.
“Over the course of the pandemic, we have seen a significant increase in the amount of illegal dumping and littering, and government has struggled to keep up with the problem,” said Metro Council President Lynn Peterson.
More than 1,400 sites have reportedly been cleaned so far in 2022. Those sites accounted for about 3 tons of trash picked up each day, metro officials said.
The funding will not be used to move camps or anyone experiencing homelessness.