The Department of Environmental Quality in partnership with Keep Oklahoma Beautiful will recognize Team Up to Clean Up for their efforts in making Lake Eufaula an Oklahoma Clean Community during a special ceremony scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, August 21st, 2019.
Team Up to Clean Up has alongstanding commitment to cleanup, beautification, and recycling in and around Lake Eufaula. It has hosted events for the last 11 years to help eliminate illegal dump sites and to clean up lakeshore areas and neighborhoods.
The group has held seven events in the last year including removal of two dilapidated structures, roll off placement for properties needing clean up, and five neighborhood cleanups. It also recycled two tons of metal, removed 90 tons of trash and debris, and collected around 500 tires, all material that may have otherwise ended up in illegal dumpsites.
In addition Team Up to Clean Up received a grant from the Oklahoma Conservation Commission to create a wetland that will help educate students and visitors about the benefits of wetland environments. With the help of student volunteers members planted 600 wetland plants to complete phase one of the project.
DEQ and KOB recognize entities that participate in at least one tire collection event annually and other environmental service projects. DEQ encourages entities to coordinate a community-wide cleanup of used tires. DEQ’s Tire Indemnity Fund will pay to haul off old, unused, or abandoned tires. Tire piles can be an eyesore and attract unwelcome pests, such as mosquitoes and rodents. After cleanup is complete and all criteria for other service projects are met, a community can be recognized as an Oklahoma Clean Community.
The ceremony will be held at the Legacy Building, 224 N. Main St., Eufaula, OK.
