PA Environment Digest

PA CleanWays and Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful announced they have formally joined forces to promote illegal dump cleanups, anti-litter education, and beautification projects to make their work with local partners and volunteers more effective.

“PA CleanWays and Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful have similar missions and similar objectives-- to cleanup and maintain Pennsylvania’s roadsides, watersheds, forests, and cities free of litter and hazardous illegal dumps,” said Jim Bendel, Board Chair of PA Cleanways. “It makes sense for us to work together to improve the quality of life for Pennsylvanians and the environment.”

Both organizations have partnered to help organize the state’s premier dump cleanup and anti-litter effort-- the Great American Cleanup of PA.

Along with the Departments of Environmental Protection and Transportation, local businesses, and other local agencies, over 940,000 volunteers have cleaned up 42 million pounds of trash from Pennsylvania roadways, trails, parks and shorelines since 2004.

“PA CleanWays will maintain the Commonwealth’s relationship as a state affiliate of Keep America Beautiful and will work to bring the benefits of that national organization to Pennsylvania,” said Shannon Reiter, President of PA CleanWays.

As an initial step, PA CleanWays, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, and Keep America Beautiful will co-host a round table for current PA CleanWays chapters and affiliates as well as Pennsylvania-based Keep America Beautiful affiliates on March 2 in State College.

As part of the consolidation, PA CleanWays’ Board of Directors elected and welcomed six new members from the Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful board, including: Tony Crisci, Pennsylvania Beverage Association; Maitreyi Roy, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society; Richard Ebeling, the Department of Transportation; Bill Heenan, Steel Recycling Institute; David McCorkle, Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association; and David Hess, former Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection.

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful will be housed in the PA CleanWays office at 105 West 4th Street, Greensburg, PA, 15601. For more information, please call 877-772-3673 or visit the PA CleanWays website.

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