Volunteers gather for Annual International Coastal Cleanup

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 21, 2024

CONTACT:
Jessica Horan, Director
814-434-4582

Erie, PA - Keep Erie County Beautiful, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), hosted the Pennsylvania Lake Erie International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) Saturday morning, September 21st, 2024. Thanks to our site coordinators and approximately 1,000 volunteers, we were able to collect over 4,000 pounds of trash out of Erie County's waterways. International Coastal Cleanup, the oldest and largest volunteer project of its kind, was initiated by the Ocean Conservancy to not only reduce litter from local waterways but also document types and amounts of litter found. This data is used in the Ocean Conservancy's Ocean Trash Index to inform policymaking to address the growing
marine debris problem. Erie County's International Coastal Cleanup partners include Keep PA Beautiful, Waste Management, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Erie County Department of Planning and Community Development, and Pennsylvania Coastal Resources Management. Volunteers cleaned up 16 locations in Erie County with over 40 miles of shorelines and waterways. Special thanks to our volunteers from:

• Mercyhurst Prep High School
• Erie Insurance
• Erie-Western PA Port Authority
• Fairview Township
• Millcreek Township
• Springfield Township
• Wesleyville Borough

• Master Watershed Stewards
• Pennsylvania State Extension
• Gannon University
• PA Steelhead Association
• Penn State Behrend
• Erie Downtown Partnership
• UPMC Hamot
• PennFuture
• Baker Creek Watershed Association