JOINT BASE MYER-HENDERSON HALL, Va., -- To protect the health of the Chesapeake Bay, six volunteers from Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall’s Directorate of Public Works participated in the Department of Defense’s Chesapeake Bay Program’s Clean the Bay Day event June 8 by cleaning up areas on installations throughout the watershed that drain to the bay.
Although JBM-HH does not have shoreline property, all the base’s stormwater inlets eventually drain to the Chesapeake Bay – making it vitally important to collect trash before it enters storm drains, nearby creeks and other bodies of water.
As part of these efforts, volunteers first focused on stormwater management facilities like bioretention areas and bioswales located on both the Fort Myer and Henderson Hall sides of the joint base.
They then joined with 10 Arlington National Cemetery volunteers to conduct a cleanup of areas along both sides of the JBM-HH and ANC property boundary - specifically the fence line between Buildings 325 and 330 and ANC’s Section 78.
As a result of the cleanup event, several large pieces of scrap metal and enough trash to fill approximately 12 large trash bags were removed from the stormwater management facilities and other areas around on base, as well as the property boundary with ANC.
According to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, more than 165,000 volunteers have removed approximately 7.17 million pounds of debris from over 8,250 miles of shoreline in Virginia since the Clean the Bay event was started in the Commonwealth in 1989.
The success of this event over the past few decades highlights the importance of keeping litter out of the environment. Participants see firsthand how the accumulated plastic bags, cigarette butts, foil snack bags, plastic bottles and more can accumulate to significant amounts and impact the environment.
The event is a demonstration of the impact each person has on the environment, showing us all that by working together we can help to protect our surrounding environment for years to come.
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