HUNTINGTON BEACH : Beach Trash Pickup to Go Automated
City officials have ordered an $82,300 automated trash loader to pick up and empty the 300 trash containers on the beach.
The automated loader is described as similar to, but smaller than, a commercial trash truck that picks up containers. It is expected to cut down on back injuries of the cleanup workers who have been picking up and emptying the 55-gallon beach barrels, officials said.
The City Council previously had authorized the trash loader in the 1992-93 budget, but officials this week had to approve an additional $2,900 because of a price increase.
Jim Engle, deputy director of the Community Services Department, said the machine can dispose of the trash about three times faster than the beach maintenance crew. The time savings is especially important, he said, because the beach maintenance budget was cut $38,000 this year, he said.
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