(Lawrenceburg, Ind.) - Thousands of volunteers will pick up trash along 980 miles of Ohio River banks this weekend.

ORSANCO River Sweep

The Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission’s 21^st annual Ohio River Sweep takes place from Pittsburgh, Penn. to Cairo, Ill. Saturday, June 19. Southeast Indiana, southwest Ohio, and northern Kentucky will all join in on the effort.

“We started out as a pilot project with 100 miles of shoreline that we decided to clean and it grew so quickly,” said Jeanne Ison, a Milan resident and ORSANCO’s Public Information Programs Manager. ”Now we cover more than 3,000 miles of shoreline.”

Anybody who wants to improve the beauty and cleanliness of the Ohio River can participate in the cleanup. Trash bags and gloves will be provided but volunteers ought to wear clothes they won’t mind getting dirty.

If volunteers do get dirty, there’s no need to worry because all volunteers receive a free t-shirt afterwards.

All trash collected during the sweep is either recycled or disposed of in an environmentally safe manner.

Ison says heightened public awareness about environmental issues over the past two decades has led to less trash in the river.

“We don’t see it like we used to. Once in a one-mile stretch downstream of Cincinnati we found everything to supply a house – a toilet, a couch, a TV,” she said.

Local meeting times and locations are as follows:

Indiana

Dearborn County

Tanners Creek Boat Ramp 9:00 a.m.

Lesko Park 9:00 a.m.

Lawrenceburg Bicentennial Park 9:00 a.m.

Ohio County

Shelter next to the ramp on the Rising Sun Riverfront 9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Switzerland County

Paul Ogle Park 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Markland Dam Park 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Bryants Creek 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Patriot Boat Ramp 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Kentucky

Boone County

Petersburg Road Dock 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Rabbit Hash General Store 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Big Bone Boat Dock in Union 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Split Rock Conservation Park in Petersburg 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Belleview McVille on 2^nd Street 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Giles Conrad Park in Hebron 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Carroll County

Point Park in Carrollton 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Gallatin County

Wayne Rassman 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Owen County

Monterey and Perry Park 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Ohio

Hamilton County

Four Seasons Marina 9:00 a.m.

William Henry Harrison’s Tomb in North Bend 7:30 a.m.

ORSANCO offers the following safety tips for River Sweep volunteers:

• Watch where you walk and avoid broken glass, rusty nails, and poison ivy.
• Always wear gloves.
• Never place yourself in a dangerous situation, such as trying to get trash floating in the river.
• Don't get in the water.
• Stay away from thick, brushy areas.
• Avoid high cliffs.
• Watch for traffic when working in a pull-over area along the side of the road.
• Volunteers must sign a waiver of liability, and anyone under 18 years old must have parental permission to participate. An on-site supervisor will be available.

LINKS:

ORSANCO - http://www.orsanco.org/index.php/river-sweep