The League to Save Lake Tahoe has been leading litter clean-up efforts for the area's beaches and water for years.

Volunteers can easily pick up large pieces of trash, but smaller pieces of plastic can eventually still find their way into the water after sinking into the sand.

That's a problem the league is looking to solve with help from a new robot.

It's called "BEBOT."

It's fully electric, solar-powered and remote-controlled by someone walking behind it.

BEBOT's job? Comb through the top few inches of sand to sift out otherwise unseen litter.

“This robot is really getting the plastics and the litter just out of our view that could end up in our lake and really cause some damage," said Jesse Patterson, Chief Strategy Officer for the League, which operates under the slogan "Keep Tahoe Blue."

Patterson said the robot has been compared to a giant Roomba or a Zamboni. But the rover-like machine is far smaller than that.

"It's very compact, no emissions, very light pressure on the ground so it's not going to disturb things like our native Tahoe Yellow Cress," Patterson said.

A company called Eco Clean Solutions, which is based in France, built BEBOT along with several other robots like it.

BEBOT made its U.S. debut in Florida. This week's test event at Lake Tahoe was the first run for the robot on the West Coast.

In ideal conditions, the robot can crawl along at 3,000 meters (just under 2 miles) per hour. As it moves along, it sweeps and sifts the top 1 to 4 inches of sand, removing pieces of trash.

"We really see the robot as the last line of defense for the lake for keeping small pollution and litter, plastics in particular from getting in the water in the first place," Patterson said.

After that, volunteers sort the trash and log what they've found.

BEBOT is in a pilot phase this year while the League determines the most effective way to utilize it.

Patterson said that Keep Tahoe Blue will still organize regular clean-up events. He also urges all visitors to prioritize being responsible stewards of the environment.

"Leave it better than you found it," Patterson said. "Come enjoy this place, but pack it in, pack it out. It sounds silly and simple but it really matters here in Tahoe."

Sun Valley Foods is recalling ready-to-eat beef and chicken taquitos and chimichangas products containing diced green chilies due to concerns that the products may be contaminated with extraneous materials, specifically hard plastic.

The hard plastic may pose a choking hazard or cause damage to teeth or gums.

The frozen RTE meat and poultry taquitos and chimichangas items were produced by Ajinomoto Foods North America, Inc., and are sold under brand names including Great Value, Casa Mamita and José Olé.

The FDA said the following products, sold nationwide, were recalled:

• 19.2-oz. carton containing 16 pieces labeled as “Great Value Flour Chicken Taquitos Tortillas Stuffed with All White Chicken Meat & Monterey Jack Cheese” with a best if used by date of “11 JUL 2021” and “P5590” printed on the side panel.
• 20-oz carton containing 20 pieces labeled as “CASA MAMITA BEEF TAQUITOS ROLLED IN CORN TORTILLAS” with a best by date of “26 JUN 2021” and “EST 5590” printed on the side panel.
• 22.5-oz carton containing 15 pieces labeled as “CASA MAMITA CHICKEN AND CHEESE TAQUITOS ROLLED IN FLOUR TORTILLAS” with a best by date of “26 JUN 2021” and “P5590” printed on the side panel
• 15-oz. carton containing 15 taquitos labeled as “JOSÉ OLÉ TAQUITOS CHICKEN AND CHEESE POLLO Y QUESO IN FLOUR TORTILLAS” with a best by date of “08 JUL 2021” or “18 JUL 2021,” and “P5590” printed on the side panel.
• 20-oz. carton containing 20 taquitos labeled as “JOSÉ OLÉ TAQUITOS BEEF CARNE DE RES IN CORN TORTILLAS” with a best by date of “08 JUL 2021” and “EST 5590” printed on the side panel.
• 22.5-oz carton containing 15 taquitos labeled as “JOSÉ OLÉ TAQUITOS CHICKEN AND CHEESE POLLO Y QUESO IN FLOUR TORTILLAS” with a best by date of “09 JUL 2021,” “14 JUL 2021” or “17 JUL 2021” and “P5590” printed on the side panel.
• 55.5-oz carton containing 37 taquitos labeled as “JOSÉ OLÉ VALUE PACK TAQUITOS CHICKEN AND CHEESE POLLO Y QUESO IN FLOUR TORTILLAS” with a best if used by date of “15 JUL 2021” and “P5590” printed on the side panel.
• 60-oz. carton containing 60 taquitos labeled as “JOSÉ OLÉ TAQUITOS BEEF CARNE DE RES IN CORN TORTILLAS” with a best if used by date of “9 JUL 2021” or “10 JUL 2021,” and “EST 5590” printed on the side panel.
• 5-oz. individual plastic bag containing “JOSÉ OLÉ CHIMICHANGAS LOADED BEEF NACHO” with a best by date of “15 JUL 2021” and “EST. 17417” printed on the label.

The products bear the establishment number “EST 5590,” “P5590” or “EST. 17417” printed on the packaging above the expiration date.

Ajinomoto Foods North America, Inc. identified pieces of hard plastic in their production process and in a barrel of diced green chilies that was received from their ingredients supplier, Sun Valley Foods. Sun Valley Foods initiated a recall of the green chilies with the FDA.

There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an illness should contact a health care provider.

FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers’ freezers. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.

To learn more about the recall, click here.

This story was originally published by staff at WTKR.

Butterball is recalling 14,107 pounds of ground turkey products that could be contaminated with blue plastic, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service.

The ground turkey items included in the recall were produced on Sept. 28. The products include 2.5-pound trays containing "Farm to Family Butterball all natural ground turkey" with the case code 50211271, a sell or freeze by date of Oct. 18 and timestamps from 2123 through 2302 on the packaging.

Also included in the recall are 3-pound trays containing Kroger ground turkey with the case code 50211271, a sell or freeze by date of Oct. 17 and timestamps from 2314 through 2351 on the packaging.

The recalled items were shipped to retailers nationwide.

According to the USDA news release, customers reported pieces of blue plastic embedded in raw ground turkey to Butterball and the USDA's inspection service.

There have been no confirmed reports of injuries due to consumption of the recalled products.

USDA officials are concerned that consumers may have some of the recalled products in their refrigerators or freezers. Anyone who purchased the products should not consume them. The USDA recommends throwing them away or returning them to the place of purchase.

Consumer questions about the recall can be directed to the Butterball Consumer Hotline at (800) 288-8372.