Volunteers Needed For Annual Great Kanawha River Cleanup

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The 27th annual Great Kanawha River Cleanup, sponsored by the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), is scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2016.

The cleanup sites, which will be in Kanawha and Putnam counties, are still being finalized.

This event brings together local volunteers to remove litter from the banks of the Kanawha River. Each year, tons of trash are collected and disposed of properly. The first cleanup in 1990 attracted close to 100 volunteers, who removed everything from an abandoned and sunken towboat to appliances and automobiles. Last year’s cleanups in Glen Ferris, Magic Island, South Charleston, St. Albans, and Winfield collected more than two tons of trash and about two dozen tires.

Those wishing to volunteer for this year’s cleanup are urged to register with the DEP so enough supplies can be obtained for each cleanup location. The DEP’s REAP program (Rehabilitation Environmental Action Plan) will supply bags and gloves for volunteers and will arrange for trash to be hauled away. All volunteers will also receive free T-shirts for their efforts.

For more information or to register to volunteer, contact Terry Carrington at Terry.R.Carrington@wv.gov
or call 304-926-0499, ext. 1359.

For more DEP news and information, go to www.dep.wv.gov. Also, be sure to connect with the agency on all social media platforms. Follow @DEPWV on Twitter and find us on YouTube by searching “Environment Matters.” For specific information about our REAP (Rehabilitation Environmental Action Plan), West Virginia Project WET (Water Education for Teachers), West Virginia Watershed Improvement Branch, Youth Environmental Program and Human Resources initiatives, connect on Facebook.