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Environmental Protection Secretary Kathleen A. McGinty, Transportation Secretary Allen D. Biehler, Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Michael DiBerardinis, and Fish and Boat Commission Executive Director Dr. Douglas Austen this week announced plans for the Second Annual Great PA Cleanup!, along with over two dozen other partners.

In 2004 over 100,000 people participated in roadside and streamside cleanups across Pennsylvania through the Great PA Cleanup! picking up over 233,000 bags of trash. The goal this year is to get even more groups involved.

This year the Great PA Cleanup! will take place April 23 in conjunction with Earth Day.

Benefits of Registration: Groups officially registered for the Great PA Cleanup! will be able to dispose of the trash they collect for free at participating landfills across the state, get information about contacts in their area that can help plan their cleanup, get gloves and safety vests from PennDOT, free trash bags donated by Glad, Inc., help dealing with tires and motor oil found by the cleanups from Firestone tire dealers and be included in a drawing for four Troy-Bilt yard-vacs given away by Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful.

DEP has also waived the state’s $2/ton recycling fee and $4.25/ton Environmental Stewardship Fee for registered groups.

Interested groups can go to www.KeepPaBeautiful.org to learn more on how to become registered or call 1-888-548-8372.

“Last year, thousands of residents joined together to make the first Great Pennsylvania Cleanup a tremendous success,” Secretary McGinty said. “Because litter and illegal dumping affect everyone’s quality of life, we challenge residents to get involved with community cleanup efforts. Whether you join an existing cleanup or organize one of your own, every resident can help us succeed in making Pennsylvania a much more attractive place to live, work and play.”

“It is very gratifying to see so many different organizations and interests offering enthusiastic support for the Great Pennsylvania Cleanup,” Secretary Biehler said. “We are proud to be partners with DEP and other state agencies in this coordinated effort to clean up Pennsylvania.”

“Litter is caused by a few people who don’t care about their communities,” said Anthony L. Crisci, Legislative Counsel for the PA Soft Drink Association. “The Great PA Cleanup! is a wonderful opportunity to show how much people do care and to convince others littering is not only wrong, but illegal.  Litter is more than an eyesore, it can ruin property values and pollute our rivers and streams. We want to thank DEP Secretary Kathleen McGinty and Transportation Secretary Allen Biehler for putting together this initiative.”

“Volunteers always have been the driving force behind cleanup and rehabilitation efforts in our parks, forests and trails,” Secretary DiBerardinis said. “Thanks to these volunteers, visitors and residents can enjoy some of the most beautiful lands and waters in the country. Let’s all do our part this year in keeping our landscapes free of litter.”

“More than 1.5 million anglers of all ages take in excess of 20 million fishing trips here each year. Much of that activity takes place on private lands whose owners are generous enough to allow public fishing,” Executive Director Austen said. “Unfortunately, litter is the number one reason landowners post their properties. As a result, more stream miles come off PFBC’s trout stocking list each year because of litter-related concerns than any other reason.”

“Trash and litter ruin property values, exhaust tax dollars and lower the quality of life for everyone,” said Tom McMonigle, representing the Pennsylvania Waste Industries Association and Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful. “It takes a shared commitment from residents, neighborhood groups, nonprofit organizations, government agencies and our state’s large and small businesses to prevent litter. I am impressed by the enthusiastic support we have received so far, and I am looking forward to a successful Great Pennsylvania Cleanup.”

The following is a list of organizations sponsoring Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful and the Great Pennsylvania Cleanup:

· Pennsylvania Waste Industries Association: Allied Waste Industries Inc.; IESI; Penn Waste; Republic Services of Pennsylvania; Charles Chrin Cos.; and Waste Management Inc.

· Commonwealth: Department of Conservation and Natural Resources; Department of Environmental Protection; Department of Corrections; Department of Transportation; Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission; Military and Veterans Affairs; and Pennsylvania State Police.

· Cities: Allentown, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

· Keep Lancaster Beautiful, Keep Philadelphia Beautiful, Pennsylvania Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus; PA CleanWays;

· Pennsylvania Farm Bureau; Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association; Steel Recycling Institute; Pennsylvania Host Municipal Inspectors; Pennsylvania Soft Drink Association; Pennsylvania Tourism & Lodging; Pennsylvania Resource Council; Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania; Schuylkill Keep It Pretty; Cumberland Valley Chapter, Trout Unlimited; Various Sportsmen Groups

2/18/2005