4th Annual Regional Stream Cleanup Begins this Weekend

April 23, 2009 Archives

Contact: Sarah Johnson, (207) 581-3213

ORONO — The Bangor Area Storm Water Group (BASWG) is looking for community groups, businesses, families, and individuals to help with the fourth annual Regional Stream Cleanup, beginning in Bangor on Saturday April 25.

The BASWG, University of Maine Cooperative Extension and the Maine Conservation Corps will host the event in seven area municipalities(Bangor, Brewer, Orono, Old Town, Veazie, Hampden, and Milford) and on the UMaine campus throughout late April and May 2009.

This event is a coordinated regional effort to clean up local waterways and protect water quality, while building community awarenessabout storm water pollution.

The schedule and municipal contact information:

Bangor

  • April 25 and May 16
  • Wendy Warren 992-4255

Brewer

  • May 16
  • Ken Locke 949-5417

Hampden

  • May 9
  • Bob Osborne 862-6527

Milford

  • May 30
  • Barbara Cox 827-2072

Old Town

  • May 11-15
  • Dave Wight 827-3974

Orono

  • May 16
  • William Murphy 866-5051

Veazie

  • May 9
  • Allan Thomas 947-2781

UMaine

  • April 29
  • Scott Wilkerson 851-3049

At each stream cleanup gathering, volunteers will meet in the morning for a short safety discussion before heading out to the designatedcleanup sites. All volunteers will be provided with free T-shirts as well as gloves and safety vests to wear during the event. Afterwards, everyone isinvited to stay for a picnic lunch to recognize tje volunteers’ hard work.  

“Last year was our third annualr egional cleanup, and it was a huge success with over 300 volunteers participating in the collection of trashalong the Penobscot River and its tributariesthroughout the region, says BASWG chair Allan Thomas.  “We have estimated that so far over 15 tons of trash have been removed from our waterways as a result of our annual cleanup events.”

Thomas says he is hopeful that this year’s events will be as successful as those in past years.

Laura Wilson of the UMaine Cooperative Extension Water Quality Office believes that participants think beyond the litter they are cleaning up.

“All of the litter removed during the cleanup events would have otherwise been washed into local water bodies during heavy rains,” Wilson says. “I think that many participants also realize that less visible pollutants such as soil, pesticides, and fertilizers are washed into our waterways, just like the litter.  The combination of removing the litter and reducing polluted runoff can dramatically improve water quality.”

The regional stream cleanup started in 2006 as a way to comply with the public education and participatio nrequirements of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection Storm Water Permit. All of the funds necessary to perform the event are raised locally through donations.