April 22, 2005
Contact: Jennifer Devlin, 202-414-0786
CAPITAL RIVER RELIEF 2005 EARTH DAY EVENT CELEBRATES REMOVAL OF 258 TONS OF TRASH FROM POTOMAC, ANACOSTIA RIVERS
“Team Up to Clean Up” Coalition, Organized by Koch Industries, Concludes Successful Project
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Capital River Relief 2005 held its Earth Day closing event today, announcing the removal of 258 tons of trash from the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers by more than 5500 volunteers during three weeks of cleanup efforts.
At the Earth Day event held at Hains Point, where the Potomac and Anacostia meet, the “Team Up to Clean Up” coalition of national and local environmental groups, businesses, and government organizations were joined by volunteers from the Earth Conservation Corps, Washington Redskin Cheerleaders, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of the Interior, and National Geographic.
Capital River Relief began March 31 and was anchored by the Alice Ferguson Foundation's April 2 Potomac River Watershed Cleanup and the Anacostia Watershed Society's annual cleanup, held Saturday. To these traditional spring cleanup efforts, Capital River Relief added the capabilities of Living Lands & Waters, a national river cleanup group.
Much of the trash collected by volunteers working with Living Lands & Waters founder, Chad Pregracke, and his crew filled a 140-foot-long barge to the brim. The daunting collection of garbage included plastic bottles and other everyday trash, as well as 2 messages in a bottle, 1640 tires, 13 refrigerators, 2 USA Today newspaper dispensers, a blow up doll, nearly 2500 balls, 5 gas tanks, 16 Big Wheel bikes, and nearly a hundred barrels, half of which are unmarked blue barrels originating somewhere above Potomac Falls. These barrels, according to local watermen, have been polluting our waterways for years. Their source is unknown.
“Capital River Relief is a great project, not only because of its contributions to the restoration and preservation of two of Washington’s most treasured natural resources – the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers – but also because it encourages individual stewardship of our environment,” said J. Dennis Hastert, speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.
“I commend and congratulate all who have participated in Capital River Relief 2005,” said Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton. “ For the past 23 days, volunteers have worked tirelessly to clean up and restore the Potomac and Anacostia watersheds. To all who have given their time and energy to this project, on behalf of everyone at the United States Department of the Interior, and on behalf of the current and future generations who will benefit from your work, you can rest assured that your efforts are greatly appreciated.”
This unprecedented cleanup was organized by Pregracke, founder of Living Lands & Waters; Doug Siglin, director of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Anacostia River Initiative; and founding sponsor, Koch Industries, Inc. “This year’s cleanup effort brought together a diverse coalition of local and national organizations who share the goal of preserving the beauty of our national capital’s rivers,” said Koch’s Mary Beth Jarvis. “We hope this partnership can be a model for other communities seeking to improve their environment and create a lasting and positive impact.”
The project wrapped up this week as the Living Lands & Waters crew separated recyclable material from the trash and prepared to dispose of the garbage appropriately.
During the ceremony, Chad Pregracke was also recognized by NOAA as an Environmental Hero for his long-standing commitment to clean and preserve the nation’s major rivers. NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Established in 1996, the Environmental Hero Award is presented to individuals and organizations that volunteer their time and energy to help NOAA carry out its mission.
“NOAA and the nation are fortunate to have such dedicated people volunteer so much of their time,” said retired Navy Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., Ph.D., under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “They set a perfect example for others to follow in their communities. America can benefit from more environmental heroes like Chad.”
ABOUT CAPITAL RIVER RELIEF
Capital River Relief 2005 featured thirteen days of cleanups of the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers featuring volunteers from the Alice Ferguson Foundation, Anacostia Watershed Society, Pepco, Whole Foods, the Washington Capitals, Congressional Staff members, White House interns, National Geographic employees, and many others. The annual cleanup removed 258 tons of trash from local rivers in 2005 and nearly 50 tons in 2004.
ABOUT KOCH INDUSTRIES, INC.
Koch Industries, Inc. owns a diverse group of companies with more than 30,000 employees engaged in trading, investment and operations worldwide. Koch Industries and its companies are involved in petroleum, resins and fibers, chemicals, natural gas liquids, chemical technology products, asphalt, minerals, fertilizers, ranching, pipelines, and securities and finance.
ABOUT LIVING LANDS & WATERS
Living Lands & Waters, established by Chad Pregracke in 1998, is headquartered in East Moline, Illinois. Living Lands & Waters programs include Community Cleanups, Big River Educational Workshops, Riverbottom Forest Restoration and Adopt-a-Mississippi Mile.
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MEDIA NOTES: To arrange an interview with Chad Pregracke, please contact Jennifer Devlin at 202-414-0786, Jennifer@CapitalRiverRelief.org. B-roll footage and photographs from the 2004 cleanup and “before” and “after” media tours are available here.
