Riverfront cleanup sweep to begin in Monongahela

By ERIC SEIVERLING
seiverling@yourmvi.com

Monongahela residents looking to make a difference in the community will have a chance Thursday when Allegheny Cleanways visits the Monongahela Aquatorium for a 10-day riverfront cleanup.
The group is looking for volunteers to help pick up discarded plastic, tires and other trash in and around the Monongahela River during a long sweep through Elizabeth Township, New Eagle and Monongahela on the group’s 28-foot long pontoon, dubbed the Rachel Carson.
Allegheny Cleanways Water-based and Education Program Coordinator Hannah Hohman said the event would have occurred back in May, but the coronavirus pandemic forced the group to reschedule the cleanup.
“It was very mapped out and planned, but due to COVID, everything’s been up in the air,” Hohman said. “It’s a different dance right now because of COVID.”
And while Hohman and Allegheny Cleanways would love to see a large group of volunteers show up on Thursday, Hohman said she wants to keep volunteer numbers small, typically groups of six volunteers, in order to comply with pandemic guidelines.
“We want to encourage people to come out, but we don’t want 20 people to come out,” she said. “We like the idea of small groups of people in a pod because it’s easier to work with.”

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