PA Environment Digest

Nearly 80 volunteers worked through rain showers and traversed slippery hillsides to clean several miles of roadway, stream banks and an illegal dump site to help celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day and the Great American Cleanup of Pennsylvania 2010.

On April 24, Sewickley Creek Watershed Association partnered with Westmoreland Cleanways, the Borough of Youngwood, Wendover Middle School, Boy Scout Troop 465, Mill Service, Inc. and South Huntingdon Township on the 6th annual, statewide event.

The groups picked up a total of two dump truck loads of trash from an illegal dump site in Hunker plus another 152 bags of garbage and 162 tires from streets in the Borough of Youngwood, Armbrust Road and the banks of a one-mile stretch of Jacks Run through Buncher Industrial Park. Unusual items included a pool table, a baby crib, appliances and furniture.

“We really appreciate the tireless volunteers who worked through the rain showers to clean up littered roadways and some of the eyesores in our communities” reported Larry Myers, Board member of the Watershed Association. “The good news…several volunteers noted that a few local roadways seemed to be less littered this year that in the past. The bad news is other sections continue to be trashed by thoughtless litterbugs.”

Ellen Keefe, Executive Director of Westmoreland Cleanways, noted…"Local partnerships are the key to achieving long-term success in reducing illegal dumping and littering. The groups working today are building pride in their community while eliminating some major threats to the environment. We are honored to support their efforts."

The group is very appreciative of the event sponsors who included Menasha Corporation, Wal Mart, Giant Eagle, Pepsi Beverage Company, Jioio’s Restaurant, Lilja’s Premier Pizza, Powerhouse Produce, Youngwood and New Stanton Sheetz, and Youngwood Sunoco. The Association encourages you to support their businesses and asks that you thank them all for supporting the event.

Sewickley Creek Watershed Association is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to implement programs to improve water quality and encourage proper land use throughout its 168 square mile watershed, drained by Sewickley Creek, in Westmoreland County.

The Association recently received a Growing Greener Grant to help the Westmoreland County Community College develop approximately 900 linear feet of riparian buffer along an unnamed tributary to Sewickley Creek, plus capture and infiltrate a portion of the runoff from the campus parking lots.

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