The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources says it's getting complaints about cigarette butts discarded in lakes and on beaches.
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Pennsylvania officials are considering banning smoking for at least one state park with a beach, citing complaints about cigarette butts.Pennsylvania state park officials are considering a trial smoking ban for at least one park with a beach, though specifics of the pilot program are far from set.
The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources says it's getting complaints about cigarette butts discarded in lakes and on beaches.
"It's testing the water, if you will," Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources spokesman Terry Brady told The Express-Times. "But there really hasn't been a timeline established."
There has not been a park selected for the initiative, according to Brady. Regional state parks with lakes include Beltzville and Hickory Run state parks in Carbon County.
Brady last week told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review the abundance of butts eats up time maintenance workers would otherwise put to good use. He said filtered cigarettes are particularly troublesome because they don't biodegrade quickly.
"We don't want to be the anti-smoking cops, we really don't," Brady said. "Now that said, we do get our share of complaints."
Brady said the ban could be extended to all 120 state parks if it's successful.
