The Chenango County Environmental Management Council (EMC) is sponsoring Community Cleanup Day(s) across the county. They are looking for various community members who would act as cleanup stewards to help organize local events at locations near them. The EMC is able to reimburse certain costs for cleanup events registered and held before May 2nd. (Submitted Photo)

CHENANGO COUNTY – The Chenango County Environmental Management Council is sponsoring Community Cleanup Days.

They're inviting community members, who would act as cleanup stewards, from across the county, to organize local cleanup events. They will provide reimbursement for supplies and trash disposal fees from funding through their partnership with Chenango County Soil and Water Conservation District.

The Community Cleanup Day event started with the Chenango County Environmental Management Council (EMC) hosting a spring cleanup focused on the Chenango River Trail in 2022, of which they've removed thousands of pounds of trash each year since. It's now expanding to other sites and dates with cleanup stewards across the county planning local cleanup events. Since its inception the initiative has removed over 10,000 pounds of garbage from the environment.

Anyone interested in organizing a cleanup event is eligible to be a cleanup steward. The event must take place before May 2 to be eligible for reimbursement through the EMC initiative. To register, interested parties can visit the Chenango County EMC's website under the Planning Department page, their Facebook page, or reach out to the Chenango County Planning Department directly and inquire. There is also a QR code to scan on their fliers if you see one.

Cleanup stewards are responsible for organizing a cleanup event in their local area. They will need to decide on a date and location, register with the EMC, get others involved, and gather any needed supplies.

Allison Yacano, Senior Planner at the Chenango County Planning Department said, “We can provide trash removal, gloves, bags, any kind of stuff that you need for your cleanup. All we ask is that you reach out to us beforehand, so we can get that all set, and the event has to be held before May 2.”

Funding for the events is on a reimbursement basis and after the organizer's event is registered, they can provide funding for any event that takes place up until May 2.

Yacano explained that they are looking to expand their reach across the various communities inside Chenango County, which is why these volunteer cleanup stewards are being sought out. Community members acting as a cleanup steward can seek to target specific public locations for their community's cleanup day(s).

“It's just got to be a public space. It could be a park. It could be a public sidewalk. It could be anything, just to get that trash out of our community and not let it get into our waterways,” said Yacano.

If participating in one of these cleanup events be sure to maintain your personal safety especially in public spaces near traffic. Yacano also suggests that you always wear gloves and take caution if you suspect a hazardous material or something sharp.

The EMC is currently made up of seven members who come from various backgrounds with the common drive to keep our county clean and sustainable. In addition to sponsoring community cleanup days they will still be hosting their annual Chenango River Trail Cleanup which is planned to take place on May 2.

“When we first started it four years ago, we were doing research into the events that were being held in the past, and this was actually a very large event hosted by the EMC back in the early 90's,” said Yacano.

While a lot has changed with how these cleanup events are hosted and the community overall, the EMC plans to continue the initiative.

“It's really cool to see how long environmental stewardship has been going on in our community, and we're just trying to build upon it and get it bigger for the future,” said Yacano.

Find the Chenango County Environmental Management Council's site at this link https://www.chenangocountyny.gov/398/Environmental-Management-Council-EMC

Their Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/ChenangoCountyEMC

Find the Chenango County Planning and Development Department site at this link https://www.chenangocountyny.gov/200/Planning-Development.