TENNESSEE RIVERKEEPER REMOVES 323 POUNDS OF AQUATIC LITTER FROM BRUSH CREEK
April 16, 2022 For Immediate Release
DECATUR, AL — On Saturday, April 16, 2022, Tennessee Riverkeeper removed 323 pounds of aquatic litter from Brush Creek, a tributary of the Tennessee River in Decatur, Alabama. This cleanup was organized by nonprofit Tennessee Riverkeeper. Ten volunteers removed mostly plastic waste from the shore and on the water using canoes and kayaks.
“Plastic pollution is everywhere. Too much of this litter is entering our creeks and rivers. I am grateful for all of Tennessee Riverkeeper’s volunteers who donate time on the weekends to improve our communities.” said Pat Underwood, Cleanup Director for Tennessee Riverkeeper.
“In 2022, Riverkeeper has prevented over 1,200 pounds of litter from entering the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers. These events show that a few people can make a difference, and cleanups provide some hope for hundreds of thousands of citizens who are concerned about our blessed river and its tributaries. Clean water is a nonpartisan issue; we are all in this together,” said David Whiteside, Executive Director of Tennessee Riverkeeper.
This area of Brush Creek near the Tennessee River is a collection zone for garbage. Often litter that gets thrown out on streets will flow into creeks and rivers after rain events via drainage systems. Unfortunately, this creates a situation where waterways receive a plethora of plastics. We now know that this garbage negatively impacts water quality and is much more than just a visible eyesore. Scientists have confirmed humans and animals are ingesting microplastics from water, fish, air, soil, and food.
“There is no easy solution to this problem. We do know that preventing plastics from entering waterways is an obvious solution and it is easier to remove garbage from the shorelines and shallow water of creeks and rivers. It is very difficult and inefficient to try to remove litter from deeper water. Another important solution is education and informing citizens that littering not only makes our community look trashy, it also impairs fishing and water quality,” added Whiteside.
Other forms of litter can be toxic too. Tires can contain: benzene, mercury, styrene-butadiene, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and arsenic, as well as several other chemicals, heavy metals and carcinogens.
In 2019, Tennessee Riverkeeper launched a microplastics campaign to remove plastic and other litter from waterways, while educating the public about this pollution threat. “Scientists have found that the Tennessee River is polluted by as many as 16,000 to 18,000 microplastic particles per cubic meter. This pollution occurs when larger plastics breakdown over time. Experts think that they can last for hundreds of years, and toxicity can ‘biomagnify’ as microplastics build up in the food chain” said David Whiteside, Executive Director of Tennessee Riverkeeper.
###
Tennessee Riverkeeper is a non-profit organization, founded in September 2009. The mission on Tennessee Riverkeeper is to protect the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers and the tributaries by enforcing environmental laws and educating the public.