just got a little bit cleaner... WTOP reports:
Two Rivers Get Major Cleanup
WASHINGTON - It was quite a sight: a 140-foot barge with 50 tons of garbage floating along Hains Point Friday. And it was just the tip of the iceberg.
During the past three weeks, more than 5,000 volunteers picked up 258 tons of trash from the Potomac and Anacostia rivers. They did so as part of the second Capital River Relief, which culminated on the 35th annual Earth Day.
"The barge kind of makes its own statement without having to make a statement," said Chad Pregracke, founder of Living Lands & Waters, a national river cleanup group that used boats to navigate the hard-to-reach areas.
"People are either disgusted that all this stuff came out of the river, but they're also happy that somebody is out there doing it," Pregracke said.
And what was pulled from the rivers? Nearly 2,500 balls, 1,640 tires, 16 bicycles, 13 refrigerators, five gas tanks and nearly 100 barrels - half of which were described as "the blue mystery barrels" by Glen M. O'Gilvie, president of Earth Conservation Corps.
"These barrels wash downstream quite often, and we've had a very tough time tracking exactly where they're coming from," O'Gilvie said.
"We know that the contents have been food and waste and sometimes oils and other things that obviously are detrimental and damaging to the river, but just where they're coming from still continues to be a mystery."
Mary Beth Jarvis, project manager of Capital River Relief, was elated with the haul, but hopes such cleanups will become a thing of the past as people start recycling and properly throwing away garbage.
"It's all about taking responsibility, cleaning up your backyard," Jarvis said.
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