It’s time for the annual cleaning of the Ohio River and your help is needed. Volunteers are needed for River Sweep 2012 scheduled for Saturday, June 16, along the shoreline of the Ohio River and its many tributaries.

River Sweep is a riverbank cleanup that extends the entire length of the Ohio River and beyond. More than 3,000 miles of shoreline will be combed for trash and debris. This is the largest environmental event of its kind and encompasses six states.

“The Ohio River Sweep is very important because for a few hours on one day volunteers can help make a difference in the appearance of this great natural resource,” said Jeanne Ison, Project Director. “The Sweep has grown so much in the past few years, we’ve been able to expand the project to tributaries and feeder streams of the Ohio River.”

Persons wanting to volunteer for this event can call 1-800-359-3977 for site locations and county coordinators in their area or visit the website at www.orsanco.org and click on River Sweep. Each volunteer will receive a free T-shirt.

The River Sweep is sponsored by the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO). Other sponsoring agencies are the West Virginia Make It Shine Program, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Illinois EPA, and Kentucky River Authority. ORSANCO is the water pollution control agency for the Ohio River and its tributaries.