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More than 9,000 volunteers participated in annual spring cleanups sponsored by the state Department of Environmental Protection and removed 360 tons of litter from West Virginia’s landscape.
Numbers were recently finalized for the state’s Make It Shine and Adopt-A-Highway April cleanups. Both events are sponsored by the DEP’s Rehabilitation Environmental Action Plan (REAP) program and depend on volunteers for their success.
“These programs are wonderful opportunities for West Virginians to show their pride in our state’s natural beauty and to demonstrate just how dedicated we are to keeping our state clean,” Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin said. “I’m thankful for all the many volunteers, their hard work and commitment to caring about our home. By working together, we’ve made our state shine for residents and visitors alike.”
The Make It Shine cleanup occurred during the first two weeks of April and attracted 4,874 volunteers. They collected 442,293 pounds of litter from: 600 acres of park, 200 miles of roadway, 88 miles of stream, 56 miles of trail, and 38 dumpsites. Volunteers also removed 1,830 tires and 432 appliances from the state’s lands and waters. At least one Make It Shine cleanup was conducted in each of West Virginia’s 55 counties.
The Adopt-A-Highway cleanup occurred on April 28 and drew 4,641 volunteers. They removed 277,025 pounds of trash from 1,357 miles of state road.
“The No. 1 objective of REAP is to rid the state of litter and make West Virginia the cleanest state in the nation,” said REAP Chief Danny Haught. “Without our dedicated volunteers, it would be very difficult to meet the goals we’ve set for this program.”