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News Release RI Department of Environmental Management 235 Promenade Street, Providence, RI 02908 (401) 222-2771 TDD/(401) 222-4462
GOVERNOR CARCIERI, NOAA, STATE AND LOCAL OFFICIALS LAUNCH NEXT PHASE OF NARRAGANSETT BAY DEBRIS CLEANUP BRISTOL - Governor Donald Carcieri, Department of Environmental Management officials, Rhode Island's Congressional delegation, and officials of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration joined with Clean the Bay this morning at Colt State Park in Bristol to celebrate the removal of some 1,000 tons of marine debris from Narragansett Bay and to launch Clean Sweep II, the second phase of a comprehensive marine debris cleanup initiative.Timothy R.E. Keeney, NOAA's deputy assistant secretary for oceans and atmosphere, presented DEM and Clean the Bay with a grant to fund the next phase of Project Clean Sweep. The $170,000 grant, the second largest community-based marine debris prevention and removal grant in the nation, is a tribute to the monumental work that this public-private partnership has already accomplished. Following on the success of its first year, Clean Sweep II will expand the cleanup of large, medium, and small debris from an additional 86 miles of shoreline. The project will begin this month in Barrington, Bristol and Warren, and then move to areas off Warwick, East Providence, Jamestown, Newport, Middletown and Portsmouth over the next year. "Project Clean Sweep is a wonderful example of how individual citizens can accomplish great things with a little government help," Governor Donald L. Carcieri said. "In particular, this effort to clean and preserve our most important natural asset, Narragansett Bay, demonstrates the real contributions that Rhode Islanders can make to the Ocean State. A third grant to allow Project Clean Sweep to continue its excellent work would be a fitting tribute to what they've accomplished so far." Project Clean Sweep is the state's largest effort to rid Narragansett Bay of marine debris. It began in 2005 when two charter boat captains who photographed and documented marine debris throughout the Bay - Ed Hughes and Alan Wentworth - formed Clean the Bay and approached DEM with the data they collected. The two organizations teamed up to apply for federal grant funds to address the problem. Last year, NOAA awarded DEM and Clean the Bay a $150,000 grant for the first phase of the cleanup, which began in August 2006. Clean Sweep I focused on three priority Bay areas: Greenwich Bay, Metro Bay, and the Bay Islands and West Aquidneck Island shoreline. More than 1,000 tons of debris littering 64 miles of shoreline and more than 300 acres of the Bay were removed - including three barges, more than 18 derelict boats, over 100 lobster pots, yards of abandoned fishing gear, many telephone poles and other debris. "I am pleased to have helped secure federal funding for the second phase of Project Clean Sweep. This grant pays tribute to the hard work and determination of Clean the Bay, the state, and the many Rhode Islanders who volunteer their time and effort to help clean and protect our waters. I commend these extraordinary efforts and urge all Rhode Islanders to do their part to help restore and preserve Narragansett Bay and our shorelines. I am proud that the Ocean State is a national leader on this critical front," said Senator Jack Reed, a member of the Appropriations subcommittee that oversees federal spending on NOAA programs. "I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the volunteers, Clean the Bay, Rhode Island's Department of Environmental Management, and NOAA for having made this program such a great success." "Project Clean Sweep is a great example of how determined citizens and responsive government agencies can rally a community to get the job done," said Congressman Patrick Kennedy. "Captains Ed Hughes and Alan Wentworth set out to rid the Bay of tons of debris and DEM and NOAA recognized the worth of their efforts. This grant will help this collaboration move forward and continue restoring our state's greatest resource to its pristine condition." "NOAA is proud to be part of this extraordinary Rhode Island partnership to remove hundreds of tons of debris from the state's waters and shoreline," said Keeney. "Project Clean Sweep is a shining example of what NOAA wants to accomplish around the country with local and state partners through our new Marine Debris Program to remove debris that clogs our coastal waters, harms marine creatures and damages local economies." Following the speaking program, Clean the Bay took Governor Carcieri and other dignitaries aboard its 58-foot mechanized landing craft to demonstrate how large debris is plucked by the craft's crane from the shoreline. Clean the Bay uses the military-style landing craft and a marshwalker on loan from DEM to collect large debris. The program also includes a coordinated volunteer campaign to clean up small debris from shoreline areas through organized cleanups, which this year involved more than 450 volunteers from around the state. The number of volunteers is expected to grow to 620 this year as more Rhode Islanders join in this effort to clean the state's shoreline. Project Clean Sweep also features an innovative reporting program that allows the U.S. Coast Guard and others to notify Clean the Bay of floating debris so that it can be scooped up before it becomes a safety hazard to boaters. Marine debris impacts the use and enjoyment, as well as the ecology of shoreline areas. In addition to being unsightly and potentially dangerous to beachgoers, fishermen, and other shoreline users, marine debris degrades coastal habitats and can endanger fish and wildlife. Also, items such as docks or other floatable, large debris may get re-suspended or set adrift during storm events, posing hazards to boaters. DEM and Clean the Bay will be applying for additional federal funding to support the completion of the cleanup along the entire Rhode Island coastline. The NOAA grant that helps fund Clean Sweep II is one of several community-based marine debris prevention and removal grants that total approximately $1.17 million for marine debris projects around the nation. NOAA's Marine Debris Program provides financial and technical assistance to local groups to clean marine debris and to prevent new debris from damaging the marine ecosystem. Project Clean Sweep involves a growing list of partners from the public and private sectors. Those partners include the towns and cities along the bay where cleanups take place, the RI Resource Recovery Corporation, which waives tipping fees for debris, the Coastal Resources Management Council, the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Coast Guard, Dominion Gas, local universities and youth groups. -30- |
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