TO
TO GET
TO GET THE HOMELESS PEOPLE THE HELP THEY NEED, AND FIND A
BALANCE OF CLEANLINESS FOR THE
PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN, AND VISIT
THE ROSE CITY.
>> THAT CANNOT BE US.
>> Reporter: THIS IS NOT VIDEO
OF THE CITY DUMP.
LOOKS LIKE IT THOUGH, DOESN'T
IT?
IT?
IT? THIS
IT? THIS IS ACTUALLY WHAT PEOPLE
SEE ON INTERSTATE 84 AS THEY
DRIVE INTO PORTLAND, AND IT IS
EVERYWHERE.
EVERYWHERE. VISITORS LAND HERE AT PDX AND
MAKE THEIR WAY INTO THE
DOWNTOWN AREA.
DOWNTOWN AREA. BECAUSE AS ANXIOUS AS WE ARE TO
SHOW OFF OUR CIVIC PRIDE, THE
AMOUNT OF TRASH IS HARD TO
IGNORE.
IGNORE.
IGNORE. SOME OF US ARE USED TO IT, BUT
FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T COME TO
THE CITY THAT OFTEN, OR FOR
TOURISTS WHO VISIT, IT'S
OVERWHELMING.
OVERWHELMING. IT'S TOUGH TO SHOW ANY CIVIC
PRIDE WHEN ONE OF THE FIRST
THINGS YOU SEE ARE HOMELESS
CAMPS ALL OVER I-84.
AND PEOPLE WHO ARE VISITING OUR
CITY TAKE NOTICE.
>> IT DOESN'T SURPRISE ME
HONESTLY.
HONESTLY.
HONESTLY. IT'S KIND OF SAD, IT'S
DISAPPOINTING.
DISAPPOINTING. >> THAT'S MOTHER NATURE.
WE'VE GOT TO TAKE CARE OF THE
EARTH.
EARTH.
EARTH. WE
EARTH. WE SHOULD BE PROVIDING FOR HER,
RATHER THAN TEARING HER DOWN.
>> Reporter: HYPODERMIC NEEDLES
ARE EVERYWHERE.
ARE EVERYWHERE. PROPANE TANKS, AND HUNDREDS OF
POUNDS OF GARBAGE.
WE FOUND HOMELESS CAMPS AT THE
LOPEZ EXIT.
LOPEZ EXIT. 68th, 74th, AND ON HALLSY.
IF THIS IS THE PORTLAND YOU
DON'T WANT VISITORS TO SEE,
YOU'RE NOT ALONE.
>> PEOPLE THIS THIS COMMUNITY,
THEY EXPECT THE COMMUNITY TO BE
CLEAN.
CLEAN.
CLEAN. THEY EXPECT THE COMMUNITY TO BE
PRISTINE.
PRISTINE.
PRISTINE. >> Reporter: I KNOW THAT THE
CRASH STICKS IN THE CLAW OF
PORTLAND MAYOR TED WHEELER.
>> I FIND IT JARRING WHEN I
COME BACK FROM A TRIP, AND I
DRIVE DOWN I-84, AND I SEE
GARBAGE STREWN ALL OVER THE
PLACE.
PLACE.
PLACE. >>
PLACE. >> Reporter: HOMELESS CAMPS
RETURN, AND THE GARBAGE PILES
UP AGAIN.
UP AGAIN.
UP AGAIN. IT USED TO BE A ONCE EVERY TWO
YEARS CLEANUP EFFORT.
>> WE AVERAGE ABOUT 8.5 TONS OF
TRASH PER CLEANUP.
>> Reporter: TIFFANY GATES SAYS
SINCE JANUARY OF 2017, THEY'VE
CLEANED UP 32 TONS OF WASTE.
THAT'S 64,000 POUNDS OF GARBAGE
ALONG I-84.
ALONG I-84. >> WE GET A LOT OF SHOPPING
CARTS, A LOT OF TRASH, A LOT OF
NEEDLES.
NEEDLES.
NEEDLES. WE CLEAN THEM UP, AND REMOVE
THEM.
THEM.
THEM. >>
THEM. >> Reporter: THE AREA IS
TRICKY, BECAUSE SEVERAL
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES HAVE
JURISDICTION.
JURISDICTION. THE RAILROAD IS THERE, ALONG
WITH ODOT, THE COUNTY, THE
CITY, AND METRO AMONG OTHERS.
>> YOU HAVE TO ORGANIZE ALL OF
THOSE DIFFERENT ENTITIES TO
JUST PICK UP THE TRASH.
>> Reporter: SO WHY NOT DO
SOMETHING TO KEEP CAMPERS OUT
OF THAT AREA, AND PREVENT THE
TENS OF THOUSANDS OF POUNDS OF
TRASH FROM PILING UP.
WELL IT TURNS OUT, THEY ARE.
FENCING IS GOING UP ALONG THE
SOUTH SIDE OF I-84.
BUT VERY SPECIFIC LEGAL
REQUIREMENTS CAN PREVENT
EFFORTS FROM KEEPING PEOPLE
OUT.
OUT.
OUT. >>
OUT. >> WE HAVE LEGAL REQUIREMENTS.
WE HAVE TO POST IT.
ULTIMATELY, IF THEY CHOOSE TO
LEAVE, BUT THEY LEAVE STUFF
BEHIND, WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR
BAGGING IT, AND TAGGING IT, AND
HOLDING IT FOR 30 DAYS.
>> Reporter: BUT THE MAYOR SAYS
THEY'RE DOING EVEN MORE.
THE CITY HAS PASSED
LEGISLATION, AND ENTERED INTO
AN AGREEMENT WITH ODOT TO TAKE
OVER MANY OF THOSE RIGHT
GENTLEMAN WAYS.
GENTLEMAN WAYS. TOGETHER, ALL THE AGENCIES ARE
WORKING ON LIVEABILITY IN THE
CITY, AND ALONG INTERSTATE 84.
>> PORTLAND IS SO BEAUTIFUL
REGARDLESS.
REGARDLESS. BUT ANYTHING CAN BE DONE TO
IMPROVE THINGS.
IMPROVE THINGS. >> Reporter: GET THIS, THE
CLEANUP STARTS TOMORROW.
STARTING AT THE RIVER AND
WORKING EAST UNTIL APRIL 4.
>> WE PARTNER WITH OTHER
AGENCIES THAT HAVE OUTREACH
GROUPS.
GROUPS.
GROUPS. WHAT DO YOU NEED TO GET HELP?
>> THAT'S WHAT PORTLAND IS
KNOWN FOR.
KNOWN FOR. >> Reporter: THEY'RE NOT
WASTING ANYTIME.
WASTING ANYTIME. FOLKS AT METRO ARE GOING TO GET
STARTED ON THIS CLEANUP
TOMORROW, AND GO AT IT UNTIL
FRIDAY, PARTNERING WITH SEVERAL
AGENCIES.
AGENCIES.
AGENCIES. THEY'VE ALSO GOT THIS GREAT
FEATURE CALLED THE DIGITAL
DASHBOARD.
DASHBOARD. YOU CAN NOW TRACK YOUR REPORT
TO SEE THE PROGRESS.
GET THIS, THEIR AVERAGE