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Volunteer effort took 500 pounds of trash out of river at Massena Intake

Posted 5/11/11

MASSENA -- A group cleanup effort hauled 500 pounds of trash out of the water near the Massena Intake recently. The group of divers and other volunteers was coordinated by Claude St-Denis, with John …

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Volunteer effort took 500 pounds of trash out of river at Massena Intake

Posted

MASSENA -- A group cleanup effort hauled 500 pounds of trash out of the water near the Massena Intake recently.

The group of divers and other volunteers was coordinated by Claude St-Denis, with John Ashley and the St. Lawrence University student divers of Bluefin Diving, and many members of a land cleanup crew.

The debris included bottles, cans, home appliances and parts, smoking and fishing items, clothing and more.

The New York Power Authority gave permission to hold the event at the Massena Intake, and the Town Of Louisville provided them with a vehicle to put the debris in to be disposed of.

Parishville Dive Team member Dave Taylor and Heuvelton Dive Team Member Wayne Hutton dove with the students during the cleanup.

Massena Dive Team members Brandon Cole and Pat Murphy patrolled the surface in their Zodiac boat to watch traffic on the water. The Massena Rescue Squad crew, Ralph Bathelt and Tom Hazel, stood by with the ambulance in the event it was needed. Donations by Hannaford, Bj’s, Home Depot and Dunkin Donuts also made this event a success with their donations to provide supplies and nourishment to the hungry crew. Jarilyn Ashley helped monitor divers and logged the trash they brought up.

For more info on the inspiration for this project, visit the web site of Project AWARE Foundation, sponsored by professional divers dedicated to preserving underwater environments, at www.projectaware.org/about/index.php.