A pollution control initiative that began 20 years ago is having a positive impact on the Ohio River Basin. On Saturday, June 20, volunteers combed the banks of the Ohio River in search of debris during River Sweep 2009.

In the Village of New Richmond, 30 volunteers filled one dump truck to over-flowing with trash, according to organizer David Kennedy.

“I have been working on River Sweep since the first year,” said Kennedy. “The first year was an all-day affair. We filled truck after truck with so much debris. We had medical waste and piles of litter. You can tell when something like this is working because the river bank gets easier to clean every year.”