DC chapter of 11th Hour Action working with the Anacostia River Cleanup

Submitted by 11thhouraction on March 2, 2009 - 5:40pm

Anacostia River Trash The Anacostia River is about eight and a half miles long, flowing from Prince George's County MD through Washington D.C., where it joins the Washington Channel to empty into the Potomac. About 20,000 tons of trash enters the Anacostia each year. The 11th Hour Action Washington D.C. chapter is hard at work on a project called Trash Free Anacostia which is proposing a bill, the "Anacostia River Cleanup and Protection Act of 2009," that aims to reduce the amount of waste deposited into the river each year. The bill also creates a new fund dedicated to the cleanup and restoration of the River. A recent report by the DC Dept. of the Environment states that plastic bags, bottles, cans, snack wrappers and Styrofoam make up 85% of the trash in the Anacostia River.

According to Trash Free Anacostia: "The legislation represents a unique attempt – as best we can tell, the first of its kind in the nation – to work with business and environmental leaders to develop a shared strategy to reduce the amount of trash in the Anacostia River. In addition, this initiative creates a partnership with Maryland to create a shared stewardship for the health of the entire Anacostia watershed."

The bill proposes a five-cent fee on all single-use plastic and paper carryout bags from retail and food establishment license holders in the area. The bill also requires that these single-use bags be recycleable. Trash Free Anacostia explains how the new legislation will be eased in to the community:

"The legislation delays implementation for 6 months to a year, requiring the city to conduct an intensive public information campaign and outreach that includes providing reusable carryout bags to residents for free or low-cost, and work with service providers to distribute multiple reusable bags to seniors and low-income households."

For more information, and to help support Trash Free Anacostia, visit their website: www.trashfreeanacostia.com

To join the 11th Hour Action DC group or to get involved with this effort please contact Brie Schwartz at iambrie@hotmail.com

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