The Connecticut River Watershed Council's (CRWC) 19th annual Source to Sea Cleanup on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 25 and 26, will focus on cleaning up trash tires along the Connecticut River and its tributaries from First Connecticut Lake in northern New Hampshire to Long Island Sound in Connecticut.
All sorts of trash gets found during the clean-up, but tires are becoming a big problem. Last year, Source to Sea Cleanup volunteers reported collecting at least 745 tires. CRWC will be focusing on a massive tire dump on the Deerfield River in Greenfield, Mass. It began obtaining permits to clean up the Greenfield tire dump in 2014 and is continuing efforts this year.
CRWC is working with river states on establishing extended producer responsibility (EPR) systems that hold producers responsible for free and easy disposal by consumers of items like tires, paint cans and appliances. In Vermont, CRWC helped create and pass legislation forming the Scrap Tire Management Stakeholder Group, tasked with addressing “legacy” scrap tire piles and reducing persistent improper scrap tire disposal.
CRWC says it will remain involved with the Group, which will make recommendations for legislative efforts in the coming year. For more information or to register for the clean-up event, visit www.ctriver.org/cleanup.
Southeastern Vermont Watershed Alliance (SeVWA) will also be working with the CRWC to clean up the West River.
SeVWA is a local nonprofit organization that is focused on monitoring and advocating for the water quality of the southeastern Vermont's rivers from as far north as the Williams River to the Whetstone Brook in Brattleboro. Everyone is welcome to join in SeVWA's effort to remove trash from the rivers and their banks. Know of a trashed spot along the river closest to you? Let them know.
Come on Sept. 26 prepared to get your hands dirty and your feet wet. Meet at the Dummerston covered bridge on Route 30 at 9 a.m. Volunteers will clean until noon or so. Call 802-365-7232, 802-365-7772, ext. 10, or 802-380-2480, or visit www.sevwa.org.