Renew Our Rivers completes 12th year by collecting 12 million pounds

New season begins soon; Keep America Beautiful CEO praises effort  

Renew Our Rivers is marking the beginning of its 13th year by celebrating the removal of more than 12 million pounds of debris from Southeast waterways through 2011.

 

Since 2000, the grassroots effort has drawn more than 44,000 participants who have collected an average of 1 million pounds of debris a year. This year, volunteers have scheduled 27 cleanups in Alabama, beginning March 2 at Lake Eufaula.

 

“Renew Our Rivers was started by Alabama Power employees concerned about the health and beauty of the rivers and streams near our facilities,” said Matt Bowden, vice president of Environmental Affairs at Alabama Power. “The effort has expanded far beyond its original goal, drawing fresh support every year from thousands of volunteers across Alabama seeking to enhance their local waterways.”

 

In 2011, more than 5,500 Alabama participants removed in excess of 330,000 pounds of debris during 31 cleanups, marking the fourth largest turnout in the program’s
12-year history. Organizers also celebrated the lowest amount of debris removed since 2001, illustrating the impact of Renew Our Rivers volunteers on their waterways.

 

"Clean rivers aren't just a hallmark of a cleaner environment, they're central to healthy local economies and an enhanced quality of life," said Matthew M. McKenna, president and CEO of Keep America Beautiful Inc. "We are thrilled that our affiliates have played an important role in Renew Our Rivers and applaud these incredible efforts."

  

As Renew Our Rivers volunteers continue their efforts into 2012, Alabama Power has partnered to create and distribute more than 50,000 Message in the Bottle coloring books for schools across the state to educate students about environmental stewardship. The Alabama Power Foundation has also supported the effort by providing more than $60,000 in grants to teachers for aquatic environmental education projects.

 

For a complete listing of the 2012 Renew Our Rivers schedule, please visit http://renewourrivers.com/ or https://lakes.alabamapower.com/.

 

Alabama Power, a subsidiary of Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE: SO), provides electricity to more than 1.4 million customers across the state.