Ohio River Sweep Still Raking in Debris
Volume 60, Number 3-- October 2001
More than 500 volunteers turned out for the 13th
annual riverbank cleanup
Supported by sunny, clear weather and normal to
high pool conditions, the 13th annual Ohio River Sweep drew more
than 500 volunteers on June 16 for the Illinois leg of the river-long
riverbank cleanup. More than 1,000 bags of trash were picked up,
ranging from beer bottles and bar bells to a bowling ball. Actually,
it was only part of a bowling ball, adding a new definition of
the term "split."
Volunteers worked out of sites along the 133 miles
of Ohio River shoreline rimmed by six Illinois counties---Alexander,
Pulaski, Massac, Pope, Hardin and Gallatin. Each county has its
own coordinator for the Sweep, which is organized along the entire
length of the Ohio by the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission
(ORSANCO), based in Cincinnati, Ohio.
At the designated cleanup sites, volunteers of all
ages were issued gloves and trash bags. In addition to the usual
beverage containers, tow ropes and tires, the booty this year
included tennis shoes, and a coffee pot as well as the ball. Volunteers
each receive a free t-shirt to mark their participation. The Pepsi
bottling operation in Marion provided soft drinks, and the state
Department of Natural Resources give workers "Illinois Rivers
Appreciation Month" pins. In Massac County, workers were
treated to a pizza party sponsored by a group of local river industries,
and at the Golconda site, members of a retiree's organization
served sandwiches to volunteers.
Though ORSANCO organizes the river-length cleanup,
states along the river oversee activities within their borders.
In Illinois, coordination is handled by the Illinois Environmental
Protection Agency with Byron Marks, Marion regional office, serving
as state project coordinator.
"Illinois citizens are becoming increasingly
aware of the importance of our rivers as habitat for fish and
other aquatic organisms, for recreation, as scenic resources and
clean drinking water," Marks said. "In addition to keeping
the riverbanks clean, it is hoped that the increased public exposure
to the river will foster greater environmental concern for its
future."
