Sharing a concern for the environment and for the beauty of the Susquehanna River, 30 volunteers removed more than 100 bags of trash, several tires and other debris during a cleanup last Saturday (1/15) near PPL Corporation's Lock 12 Historic Area in York County, Pa.
Volunteers from Boy Scout Troop 152 of Brogue, Pa., the Codorus Creek Improvement Partnership, the Codorus Creek Watershed Association, the Mason-Dixon Trail Association and others joined PPL employees in the cleanup.
The Lock 12 Historic Area is located in York County about one mile downstream of PPL's Holtwood hydroelectric plant.
Tropical Storm Ivan produced heavy rains as it moved through Pennsylvania in September, flooding the Susquehanna and its tributaries. Receding floodwaters deposited a large amount of debris on the bank of the river.
PPL employees discovered the debris on a remote section of the property during an inspection designed to identify any remaining consequences of the flooding. Initial recovery efforts after the flood focused on the plant site and commonly used recreational areas.
PPL approached the York County Conservation District about enlisting community support for the cleanup.
"We appreciate the prompt response from the conservation district with organizing the cleanup event as soon after the holidays as possible," said Mark Arbogast, assistant superintendent-Environmental Preserves. "We also very much appreciate the efforts of the many volunteers from the York and Lancaster areas for helping to clean our shorelines.
"A lot of the debris consisted of plastic containers and plastic foam," Arbogast said. "These materials are unsightly, and they're not biodegradable. If the debris was left on the riverbank, it could harbor mosquitoes next summer that could pose a public health concern. The materials also could move downstream into the Chesapeake Bay when the next flood comes along."
PPL's Holtwood hydroelectric plant is located on the Susquehanna River in Martic Township about 15 miles south of Lancaster, Pa. The plant is capable of generating 109 megawatts of electricity, enough to power about 109,000 homes. Behind the dam is 2,400-acre Lake Aldred, a popular boating and recreation area. PPL manages more than 5,000 acres of land in the area for soil, water and wildlife habitat preservation.
PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL), headquartered in Allentown, Pa., controls more than 12,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the United States, sells energy in key U.S. markets and delivers electricity to nearly 5 million customers in Pennsylvania, the United Kingdom and Latin America. More information is available at www.pplweb.com.