Hypertherm helps remove trash from Black River 25th Annual RiverSweep cleanup set for Sept. 7
Press release | Aug 26, 2024 | Comments 0
The ‘trash barge’
Team leaders Rick Paulsen and Ryan Gay coordinated with Black River Action Team Director Kelly Stettner to tackle a 3-mile stretch of the river between North Springfield and the Shopping Plaza.
The employees of Hypertherm, based in Lebanon, N.H., brought their own kayaks, and long-time B.R.A.T. volunteer Richard Barber brought his flat-bottomed fishing boat to act as a scouting vessel and trash barge. Barber and his “wingman” patrolled as much of the river stretch as they could reach, collecting dozens of tires and everything else they could carry from the Hypertherm paddlers.
The Town of Springfield supported the effort by coordinating the dumpster. By the end of the cleanup, it contained an estimated 295 pounds of rusted scrap metal, 108 tires, many decades old, and a range of miscellaneous items, including electronics, children’s yard furniture, strips of plastic that were hundreds of feet long, shopping carts and more.
Hypertherm is planning a second employee-led cleanup this year, and B.R.A.T. is holding its 25th Annual RiverSweep cleanup on Saturday, Sept. 7. Headquarters will be based at Riverside Middle School, 13 Fairground Road, in Springfield.
All of these efforts are part of the annual Source to Sea cleanup of the Connecticut River Conservancy. Click here to register for RiverSweep or to find another cleanup near you. For details on RiverSweep, send an e-mail to B.R.A.T. or leave your contact information at 802-738-0456.
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