Del. Surovell Leads Little Hunting Creek Cleanup—Part 2

Volunteers pulled 25 shopping carts out of Upper Little Hunting Creek Saturday at a second cleanup sponsored by Del. Scott Surovell (D-44th).

Surovell along with 26 volunteers cleaned up trash in the northern branch of Little Hunting Creek near the Sequoyah Condominiums and Janna Lee Avenue. Volunteers included 10 students from Waynewood, Stratford Landing, and Mount Vernon Woods elementary schools, two officers of the Sequoyah Condominium Owners’ Association and community members.

Saturday’s cleanup netted one ton of trash, including 30 sports balls, 40 bags of trash, five tires and the 25 shopping carts. Additionally, volunteers collected thousands of cans and bottles.

“The trash in Little Hunting Creek is a billboard for corporate America,” said Surovell in a release. “You’d think the creek is sponsored by Pepsi, Coke, Deer Park, 7‐11, and Walmart. Taking responsibility for your products also includes ensuring that your products do not end up as pollution. This creek has become a retail trash dump.”

After the removal of the larger pieces of trash, the creek was still polluted with a mix of medicine bottles, small drink bottles, lighters and granulated polystyrene from to‐go food containers and disposable beverage coolers.

“It was amazing that we saw anything alive in this creek,” said Surovell. “There were no insects, crawfish, minnows, turtles, or anything living between Huntley Meadows Park and the Janna Lee Bridge.”

Surovell sponsored an earlier cleanup of North Little Hunting Creek earlier this spring; and another ton of trash.