FRANKFORT — The House on Friday passed legislation to force counties to clean up their dumps or provide curbside collection for everyone.

        Minutes later, the House defeated a separate bill to impose a tax on containers and cups to finance a broad litter-abatement program.

        “It's essential to the health and well-being and quality of life of all Kentuckians,” said House Speaker Pro Tem Larry Clark, D-Louisville, speaking of the bill that passed.

        Mr. Clark carried the package for Gov. Paul Patton, who hinted at the long legislative road ahead before anything actually happens.

        “It is my hope that the Senate will now show similar leadership and turn this legislation into law that will become our first major step toward a cleaner Kentucky,” Mr. Patton said.

        The Republican-controlled Senate has shown little interest in legislation to require cleanup. GOP senators have embraced their own proposal to create an anti-litter publicity campaign, though it includes no funding.

        The House debate touched on the various points of view about the garbage and litter that besmirch the landscape. Some complained about forcing counties to undertake a program without money. Supporters said simply that Kentucky has been a garbage dump for too long.

        Under the measure, each county would be required to provide some method for residents to dispose of household waste, though in many communities that is as basic as a centrally located Dumpster. Otherwise, there is a long tradition in some areas of tossing garbage over the nearest convenient hillside.

        “It breaks my heart to see litter, trash and garbage laying around,” said Rep. Tanya Pullin, D-South Shore, a freshman legislator who returned to Kentucky recently from a career in the Far East.

        Others, though, said the bill would force local governments into expensive programs without a way to pay for them.

        Rep. Jeff Hoover, the Republican House floor leader from Jamestown, proposed an alternative to increase the fine for littering to $750, with $500 of it going to the agency that issued the citation.

        “This is nothing more than a smoke screen to force mandatory collection,” Mr. Hoover said. “The counties cannot financially go out and clean up these dumps.”

        Mr. Hoover's proposal was defeated 59-36.

        The bill that passed was approved 70-28. It would force counties to clean up their dumps by 2003 or begin curbside collection. The Natural Resources Cabinet estimates there are more than 4,000 illegal dumps. If counties failed to do either, the legislation would let the state direct 10 percent of a county's annual road fund money to cleanup efforts instead of blacktop.

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