Mr. Jeff Morales
Director
California Department of Transportation
1120 N. Street
Sacramento, CA 95814

Dear Mr. Morales:

I am writing to recommend for your consideration, the Solar Powered Barricade-Lite. The California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA) has numerous environmental responsibilities under the law. Two of our most prominent goals are to reduce the land disposal of solid waste and to reduce the generation of hazardous waste. The use of the Solar Powered Barricade-Lite would contribute to both of those goals.

As you may know, the barricade lights currently in use by the California Department of Transportation (CalTrans) and most other traffic agencies employ batteries that must be replaced regularly, generating millions of waste batteries every year. Cal/EPA supports the use of innovative products which forward the goals of waste reduction and pollution prevention and which serve as a safe and effective substitution for less efficient products currently in use.

These lights will also offer obvious additional public safety benefits if they reduce instances of non-functional lights due to battery failure. According to the manufacturer, once a Solar Powered Barricade-Lite is placed in service, it will always function and require minimum service.

As you know, the Solar Powered Barricade-Lite has recently passed CalTrans' new product testing. Consequently, when procuring such lights in the future, I suggest CalTrans seriously consider the use of these lights.

Sincerely,

Winston H. Hickox
Agency Secretary