PDA

View Full Version : New River Marines tidy up the waterfront



thedrifter
10-13-07, 07:45 AM
New River Marines tidy up the waterfront

JENNIFER HLAD
October 13, 2007 - 12:21AM
DAILY NEWS STAFF

A few dozen Marines braved Friday morning's chilly temperatures - with some even taking a plunge into the New River - in an effort to clean up New River Air Station's shoreline.

"Everybody cares about what goes on with the river," said Col. Darrell Thacker, New River's commanding officer.

Participating in the national Big Sweep clean up is a win-win for the Marines, Thacker said. It keeps the river clean, keeps the environment healthy and gives the Marines something fun and different to do, he said.

"We try to keep a tidy house," said Kirk Kropinack, environmental affairs department director at New River Air Station.

"We like to have a clean place for the Marines," he said, for quality of life and to show the community that the air station cares about the environment.

The New River Foundation and Keep Onslow Beautiful, along with volunteers, will be paddling along the off-base portions of the New River for their Fall Big Sweep today.

New River Air Station service members and civilian employees also do a large-scale clean-up project in the spring, Kropinack said. The area they focus on - from the station's Officers' Club to the marina - is generally pretty clean, but volunteers do find their share of plastic bottles, military gear, tires and other trash, he said.

The largest amounts of debris come after large storms, Kropinack said.

"It's kind of a hodge-podge," he said.

Lance Cpl. Scott Kirkland was one of the Marines who splashed into the water Friday morning to retrieve the debris. He said he understands the impact trash can have on wildlife and the environment, because he grew up near the Everglades in Florida and worked as an animal handler for an Indian reservation there.

Sometimes when he would go out to find animals for the exhibits, Kirkland said he would find animals with trash or strings wrapped around them.

Kirkland volunteered at the clean up last year and said he found a variety of trash in the water.

Lance Cpl. Jeremiah Baughman was volunteering for the first time and didn't know what to expect. He said he figured it was a good way to get out of the office.

"We plan on going wading," Baughman said as he shimmied into a protective suit. "I know there's stuff down there."

Contact military reporter Jennifer Hlad at jhlad@freedomenc.com or 353-1171, ext. 8449.

Ellie