Lake Erie International Coastal Cleanup Partners Cleanup Four Mile Creek April 6

The Department of Environmental Protection is joining with community leaders and with other organizations to clean up Four Mile Creek as part of the Lake Erie International Coastal Cleanup  on April 6 from 3:30 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. between Routes 5 and 20 at Napier Park, 4230 Iroquois Avenue, Erie.

While surveying Four Mile Creek, prior to the 2016 trout season, The Fish and Boat Commission discovered large amounts of trash and debris that collected during the winter months along Four Mile Creek. DEP, Fish and Boat Commission as well as Erie County, Iroquois School District, GE Transportation, Lawrence Park Township, Regional Science Consortium, and Penn State Behrend have joined together to collect trash and record the data to share with the Ocean Conservancy.

“Our parks and waterways offer opportunities for accessible outdoor recreation, optimal health, and vitality. In Erie County, we understand the value of protecting our landscape,” said Erie County Executive Kathy Dahlkemper. The information gathered will be utilized to perform continued public education.

“We’re proud to partner with Erie County, the schools, and the other community organizations to help clean up Four Mile Creek,” said Richard Simpson, vice president global supply chain for GE Transportation.  “Many of our team members live by or enjoy fishing from its banks.”

This cleanup is an on-going effort stemming from the Lake Erie International Coastal Cleanup that began in Erie County in 2003.

“The success of local cleanups such as this, are due to all the volunteers and partners,” said John Guth, regional director of the Department’s Northwest Regional Office.  

The International Coastal Cleanup is the largest volunteer-driven cleanup event across the globe, and is largely a trash and data collection effort to keep our waterways clean.  While the annual event takes place in September, other events, such as this one, are held throughout the year.

For more information, visit the Lake Erie International Coastal Cleanup website and follow the Erie Cleanup on Facebook.