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Out of concern that vermin—you know mice, rats, and all those other icky things—would spread and take over the city, Mayor Vince Gray has ordered the Department of Public Works to start servicing garbage cans at national parks.
According to a press release, collections will only take place from National Park Service sites that are accessible to the public, as opposed to those barricaded during the shutdown. Here’s what Gray had to say about it:
“The National Park Service parks in the District attract large numbers of visitors – especially during the unseasonably warm weather we have been enjoying lately. It is imperative that someone remove the trash in a timely fashion before garbage piles up and rodents and other vermin are attracted. Because the federal government cannot step up to provide this basic service to District residents and visitors, I have authorized DPW to service the litter cans for the duration of the federal shutdown.”
DCist reached out to the Mayor’s Office for an updated list of which parks this will include, and will update when we hear back.
UPDATE: Here’s a statement from a spokesman from the Mayor’s Office about which parks will be trash-free during the shutdown:
“There are 372 sites that include named parks, e.g., Freedom Plaza, Dupont Circle, Logan Circle, Lincoln Park, Stanton Park, Union Station Plaza, Glover Archbold Park, Ft. Totten Park, Ft. Slocum Park, Ft. Stevens Park, Anacostia Park, Ft. Dupont, Ft. Mahan Park, Ft. Stanton Park and scores of unnamed, small neighborhood pocket parks that dot the District. DPW will not collect from inside Rock Creek Park or inside the Mall; however, they will collect from the litter cans along the perimeters of these sites. The parks need varying amounts of service from daily to once or twice a week and DPW will provide the service they need.”
Additionally, Mayor Gray urges park visitors to please put their trash in the trash cans to “assist DPW in their efforts to keep the parks vermin-free.” Presumably so this won’t happen:
