Van Hollen, Cardin Announce $150,000 Grant for Anacostia River Cleanup

Today U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) announced that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has awarded a $150,00 grant to Prince George's County to remove trash from the Anacostia river watershed.

"Preventing pollution from reaching our waterways is essential to helping them thrive," said Senator Van Hollen."Cleaning up the Anacostia river will improve the health of the entire ecosystem, improving access for recreation and creating a better environment for our communities."

"Thousands of families live in the Anacostia river watershed, and thousands more work in fields that rely on a healthy Chesapeake Bay," said Senator Cardin. "This grant represents an investment in those families, all of whom deserve an environment free of toxic pollution. Cleanup efforts like these lead to healthier, cleaner water, and ultimately, healthier communities."

The grant will fund a project to install two 'Bandalong' traps in the Anacostia river to reduce the amount of trash and debris flowing into the river. The traps will reduce significant sources of pollution, improve the overall stream ecosystems, and ultimately through the project's education and outreach activities will improve the understanding of the marine debris issue for citizens in the project region.