Capital River Relief is an extension and expansion of local conservation efforts. It will illustrate the commitment by coalition members to environmental stewardship, particularly in the Capital region. The Potomac and Anacostia Rivers are highly visible elements of the historic and scenic surroundings in the Washington area and are well recognized as needing continued attention and restoration.

When will the project take place?
The 2007 Capital River Relief project will kick off on Tuesday, March 27, 2007. The cleanup aspect of the project will last four weeks with Chad and his crew in the Washington, D.C. region facilitating cleanup efforts. Eleven of those days will be dedicated volunteer days during which approximately 800 volunteers from local businesses, government organizations and universities will help clean the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers. Local and national celebrities will also join the volunteers to help clean the rivers, including musician Ben Harper.

What will be cleaned during the Capital River Relief project?
We are aiming for a "Clean Sweep" along the Anacostia River throughout the month of April targeting the entire 8 mile stretch, as well as portions of the Potomac River.  The areas that we do not get to will be cleaned up by the Earth Conservation Corps after LL&W departs D.C.

Who will be doing the cleaning?
Coalition members from Living Lands & Waters, the Anacostia Watershed Society and the Earth Conservation Corps as well as numerous volunteer groups comprised of local business employees, government organizations, university students and alumni and local and national celebrities will assist in the clean up. During the cleanup, volunteers will work in two shifts – 50 volunteers in the morning (9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.) and 50 volunteers in the afternoon (1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.).

How was the coalition built?
In 2002, a Koch Industries, Inc. subsidiary first sponsored a cleanup with Living Lands & Waters and its founder, Chad Pregracke . It was a highly successful Mississippi River project that brought together Minnesota conservation groups, local volunteers and Living Lands & Waters’ unique barge-based cleanup capabilities. Following that successful partnering, Koch looked for more opportunities to participate in cleanups. The idea for a Potomac and Anacostia cleanup gained momentum in the wake of a visit by Chad to Washington, during which he not only received The Jefferson Award for Public Service but also saw, first hand, the condition of the Capital-area rivers. So Koch began to work on organizing what would become the 2004 Capital River Relief project. To help ensure bringing Living Lands & Waters to Washington would fit with and enhance existing cleanup efforts, Koch and local allies assembled an Advisory Committee that included leading Washington, D.C.-based environmental groups:

The Anacostia Watershed Society
The Anacostia Watershed Society is a Washington, DC area non-profit environmental organization that works to protect and restore the Anacostia River and its watershed. AWS seeks to fulfill its mandate of a swimmable and fishable river through its programs of education, action and advocacy. More information is available at www.anacostiaws.org.

Earth Conservation Corps
The Earth Conservation Corps is a nonprofit organization founded in 1989 as a White House domestic policy initiative. The Earth Conservation Corps provides hands-on environmental education, job training and community service programs for disadvantaged youth between the ages of 17-25 years old. Our program is interconnected: as Corps members improve their lives and career opportunities they rebuild the environmental, social and economic health of their community. More information is available at www.ecc1.org.

Koch Industries
Koch Industries, Inc., based in Wichita, Kan., owns a diverse group of companies engaged in trading, investment and operations. These companies have a presence in about 50 countries and employ more than 30,000 people in core industries such as trading, petroleum, chemicals, energy, gas liquids, asphalt, fibers and intermediates, minerals, fertilizers, pulp and paper, chemical technology equipment, ranching, securities and finance, as well as in other ventures and investments. More information is available at www.kochind.com.

Living Lands & Waters
Living Lands & Waters is an environmental organization established by Chad Pregracke in 1998 and headquartered in East Moline, Illinois. Living Lands & Waters conducts programs which include: Community River Cleanups, Big River Educational Workshops, Riverbottom Forest Restoration and Adopt-a-Mississippi Mile. Over the past eight years, Living Lands & Waters and its partners have held cleanups of the Mississippi, Ohio, Missouri, Illinois, Potomac and Anacostia Rivers. What started out eight years ago as a one-boat, one man and his dog clean up effort has become an eight state, 56-community project with thousands of volunteers and over 900 tons of trash removed from the waters and banks of the Mississippi, Ohio, Missouri, Illinois, Potomac and Anacostia Rivers. More information is available at www.livinglandsandwaters.org.

The Potomac Conservancy
The Potomac Conservancy conducts a comprehensive land protection program; develops and implements a variety of land and water restoration projects; provides counseling and other conservation support services for more than 70 other land trusts across four states and the District of Columbia. The Potomac Conservancy also provides meaningful, hands-on volunteer and education programs for adults and young people to foster a stewardship ethic; and partners with other land trusts, conservation organizations, and local, state, and federal agencies to more efficiently and expeditiously achieve land protection and restoration goals. More information is available at www.potomac.org.

Who is funding the Capital River Relief project?
This project involves a large, diverse team of individuals, businesses and organizations with an interest in cleaning up American rivers. Koch Industries has taken a lead role in funding the project and bringing Living Lands & Waters to the Washington area for the fourth straight year. They are joined by numerous other businesses and organizations that have provided local expertise, financial support, supplies and volunteer resources.

How much garbage has been collected in the past?
In the past ten years, Living Lands & Waters has collected 3.5 million pounds of trash from the Mississippi, Ohio, Missouri, Illinois, Potomac and Anacostia Rivers. Capital River Relief 2006 was responsible for removing approximately 30 tons of garbage from the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers.

What are the strangest things that have been found while cleaning up various rivers?
Some of the wildest items Living Lands & Waters have found in the past include automatic teller machines, safes, a human skull, prosthetic legs, and numerous messages in bottles (LL&W has responded to some of these).

What will happen to the garbage after it is collected?
After the garbage is collected, it will be sorted on the barge, and then most of the items will be recycled. The rest of the items that cannot be recycled will be taken to a dump site.

Reporters can contact:

Ben Becker
(202) 414-0781
bbecker@susandavis.com

How can someone become a volunteer?
Individuals and groups can volunteer by contacting:

Chris Vassil
(202) 414-0779
cvassil@susandavis.com

How can an individual, company or organization donate supplies to Chad and his team?
Individuals, companies and organizations can donate supplies to Chad and his team by contacting:

Thomas Cook
(202) 669-9913
ThomasCookDC@aol.com