Chapter
Holds Major Cleanup At Hawthorne Road
Hawthorne
Road in Taylor Township has continued to be one of the worst illegal
dump sites in Lawrence County. In November of 2001 the chapter held
a cleanup of the site but was unable to complete the job due to the
magnitude of the illegally dumped material. Dumping continued after
that with evidence that suggested some businesses may have been involved.
On April 5, 2003, the chapter returned with the aid of local volunteers
and the Laurel High School Conservation Club.
The crew worked three and one half hours on the damp, muddy hillside.
They succeeded in cleaning out approximately seven tons of trash, another
six tons of scrap metal, and over 500 tires. Among the discarded trash
volunteers cleaned up were home and business furnishings, appliances,
car batteries, and hazardous household waste.
As can be seen in the accompanying photo, a small stream bed runs through
the bottom of the ravine. The potential of this stream polluting drinking
water sources is high as the stream eventually reaches the Beaver River.
The Beaver River is a source of drinking water for communities downstream
of Lawrence County.
PA CleanWays of Lawrence County would like to extend their thanks to
the over 50 volunteers, including the Laurel Conservation Club, and
to the sponsors who made this cleanup possible. Event sponsors were
Bessemer Supply, Lawrence County Commissioners, Lawrence County Department
of Recycling/Solid Waste, Pennsylvania DEP, Slippery Rock Salvage, Taylor
Township, and Tri County Industries.
