Clean The Bay, CRMC, DEM, officials kick off Project Clean Sweep

August 15, 2006, WARWICK—Governor Donald Carcieri, non-profit Clean The Bay, Inc., the Department of Environmental Management, the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council, and other local and federal officials will herald the start of “Project Clean Sweep,” with a kickoff event on Tuesday, Aug. 15 at 10 a.m. at the Oakland Beach boat ramp in Warwick.

The project – a cleanup of marine debris that have washed ashore and littered shoreline areas around the Bay for decades - will focus on approximately 100 miles of shoreline in four areas: Greenwich Bay, Metro Bay, the Bay Islands and West Aquidneck Island. The initial cleanup areas include Warwick Cove, Apponoag Cove and East Greenwich Cove in Greenwich Bay; East Providence, Gaspee-Fields Point and Nayatt-Bullock Point in Metro Bay; and Prudence, Patience, Dyer, Gould, Hope and Dutch Islands, the western Portsmouth shore and the northern portion of Jamestown.

The CRMC, in support of Clean The Bay’s efforts, granted an assent in November 2005 for debris removal in Narragansett Bay, and sent letters of support. Clean The Bay, Inc., of North Kingstown, is a nonprofit organization established by Capt. Alan Wentworth of Seatow Rhode Island and Capt. Ed Hughes of the Recreational Fishing Alliance.

“Your endeavor is a worthwhile one because it will involve a locally driven, community-based marine debris prevention and removal project that will benefit coastal habitat, waterways and public trust resources,” CRMC Chairman Michael M. Tikoian wrote in a November letter to Clean The Bay. “As the Chairman of the state’s coastal zone management agency, it gives me great pleasure to support a project whose benefits will be seen immediately within Narragansett Bay and its watersheds.”

The project was funded by a $150,000 NOAA grant to the state. It is the largest grant given to any state, and is largely due to the high quality initial marine debris inventory completed for the grant application, and also because marine debris issues were identified in the CRMC’s Greenwich Bay Special Area Management Plan (in Section 860). This was also a key step in developing the CRMC Metro Bay SAMP process.

It is estimated that more than 530 tons of marine debris clutter the shores in the target area of these three regions. Clean The Bay will have their specially equipped 58-foot mechanized landing craft with an on-board crane at the event for demonstration. The CRMC will be working with DEM and Clean The Bay to secure additional federal funding to continue this effort for the rest of Rhode Island’s shoreline.

“The CRMC is encouraged by the work and efforts of Clean The Bay to improve the coastline of Narragansett Bay,” Tikoian said. “Over the years, this marine debris has cluttered our shores and become an eyesore and, in some cases, a navigational hazard. With the CRMC assent, Clean The Bay will now be able to clean up the debris while being sensitive to the coastal habitat.”

Directions:

• Rte. 95 South to exit 10A / Rte. 95 North to Exit 10 to Rt. 117 East.
• Follow Rt. 117 East for approximately 5 miles through the Apponaug and Buttonwoods sections of Warwick.
• Turn right onto Oakland Beach Avenue and follow almost all the way to the end.
• Turn left onto Suburban Parkway.  Follow to the end.
• Turn right onto Bay Avenue.  Bay Avenue leads to the boat ramp.