Drain pain

Re “Awash in the muck of a single-use society,” Column, Sept. 12

Steve Lopez brings awareness not only to plastic bag blight but to the myriad trash items flowing into our ocean. Much of the “muck” Lopez experienced in the Compton Creek is also seen in the L.A. River and hovering in the city storm drains, waiting for the next rain to carry it out to the ocean. We could alleviate this by installing screening material over curbside storm drains. The new problem would then be garbage piling up at curbs. Perhaps then we could shift our focus to the unconscionable manner in which some residents contribute to the litter problem.

Diane McDowell

Los Angeles