Ohio DNR coordinates with other agencies to clean up illegal dump site

East Liverpool, Ohio — As part of Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s H2Ohio Rivers program, the Ohio DNR (ODNR) Division of Natural Areas and Preserves and River Rangers International cleaned up an illegal dump site along the banks of the Little Beaver Creek State Wild and National Scenic River.

The H2Ohio Rivers program was announced by DeWine as an expansion of his statewide water quality initiative, H2Ohio.

“H2Ohio remains one of my top priorities,” said DeWine. “Dedicating more resources to Ohio’s large rivers was a natural next step in the H2Ohio program to ensure our waterways are clean and enjoyable for all Ohioans. Part of the H2Ohio Rivers program is designed to take on these types of projects that clean up litter to restore our waterways and prevent contamination.”

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River Rangers International is a non-profit organization whose mission is to keep waterways safe and clean in Ohio. The team along with ODNR tackled a site where trash was illegally dumped near the creek many decades ago. The illegal dump site included litter such as household trash, steel drums, and more than 300 scrap tires.

“Our H2Ohio Rivers program works to identify these legacy dump sites then coordinates with local groups to clean it up,” said ODNR Director Mary Mertz. “By doing this, we’re taking areas that have been a problem for generations and finding ways to reclaim the riverbanks and protect the rivers.”

The debris was located behind the Beaver Local High School football field and was on the school district’s property. This specific dump site was discovered in a wooded area unknown to the general public and could not be seen from school grounds.

“We were not aware this dump existed until it was discovered by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources,” said Beaver Local Schools Superintendent Eric Lowe.