N E W S    Release
Office of Richmond Mayor Tom Butt

For Immediate Release     
March 24, 2016

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Contact:
Alex Knox – Dir. of Policy and Strategy
Direct: 510-621-1302
Mobile: 510-407-1926

City of Richmond, The Watershed Project, Richmond Marina Bay Residents, and UC Berkeley Students Clean Meeker Slough

RICHMOND, Calif. – What started with a complaint to the mayor from a resident stating “the situation in Meeker Slough is disgusting”, led to an organized effort to address the persistent accumulation of trash in the treasured waterway. A collaborative group made up of City of Richmond Public Works, the Watershed Project, Richmond residents, and UC Berkeley students has led to three cleanup days at the Meeker Slough. The cleanup effort drew over 40 volunteers, and one more cleanup day is set to take place before the end of March.

In January, Mayor Butt and City of Richmond Public Works Director Yader Bermudez initiated efforts to mitigate trash and debris accumulating in the area which is a natural habitat for water fowl. The Slough is part of a large tidal marshland on Richmond’s South Shoreline along the San Francisco Bay. After determining that debris accumulated in the slough is partially a result of trash flowing into storm drains on city streets, the Mayor’s Office and Public Works arranged for trash booms and nets to prevent trash from spreading, and sought assistance from volunteers to make an impact.

“As a city, we are constantly abating litter and illegal dumping in nearly every part of town.” Said Mayor Tom Butt, “Between Code Enforcement, Public Works, and a large number of committed community groups, we do a great job of clearing out trash, but anyone you ask will tell you that the only way we stay on top of this is when neighbors and volunteers step up to make it happen.”

The Watershed Project, which is very active in protecting Richmond’s many waterways and coordinated the volunteer efforts at Meeker Slough, reported collecting large amounts of plastic bags, Styrofoam cups, straws and various household items totaling 900 pounds of trash collected.

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Alex Knox
Director of Policy and Strategy
Office of Richmond Mayor Tom Butt
450 Civic Center Plaza
Richmond, CA  94803
Main: 510-620-6503
Cell: 510-407-1926
Fax: 510-412-2070 
www.RichmondCaMayor.org

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