
				Pat Quinn, Governor

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Environmental Progress - Fall 1997

River Cleanup Volunteers Get Hands-On Lesson on Litter

Workers find that people throw the darnedest things into rivers.

June 21 was cleanup day for stretches of the Ohio and the Rock rivers in Illinois; as usual, the yield ranged from amusing through surprising to downright unpalatable. Volunteers pulled booze bottles, bed springs, shopping carts, and tires from the two streams, as well as washers and driers, portable toilets, broken boat docks, lost toys, abandoned goose eggs, and an ice chest.

High water along the Ohio River created treacherous footing for volunteers pulling flood-generated debris from the stream.

As part of one of the largest efforts of its kind in the nation, the ninth Ohio River Sweep cleanup included 133 miles of Illinois shoreline among the total 1,962 miles covered by the sweep. The younger Rock River Sweep marked its third year by targeting 25-30 miles of river bank.

As citizens become increasingly aware of the importance of rivers as a source of clean drinking water and habitat for aquatic life, as well as recreation and scenic resources, river sweep organizers hope to foster a greater sense of ownership and responsibility for the streams.

Volunteers are provided with gloves and trash bags for the pickups, and receive a tee-shirt commemorating their participation. For the Ohio River Sweep, the Marion Pepsi plant donated soft drinks and the Department of Natural Resources furnished "Illinois Rivers Appreciation Month" pins. Local businesses furnished a pizza party for Massac County volunteers, and in Golconda, sandwiches were served by retired federal, state and local government employees.

The Rock River sweep is supported by a non-profit foundation set up for that purpose. Donations to the foundation provide cleanup equipment, food and drinks for the workers as well as tee-shirts demonstrating their public spirit.

Volunteers, from students to retirees, seem to share a common reaction to the litter they uncover. "There's no respect at all," one said. "I don't understand how someone can't walk a few feet to put their trash in a trash can."