Applications are now available for the 2023 West Virginia Make It Shine Statewide Cleanup.
This annual event is sponsored by the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection’s (WVDEP) Rehabilitation Environmental Action Plan (REAP).
This year’s event will be April 1-15 and applications are due by March 10.
The Make It Shine program will provide resources such as cleanup materials, waste hauling and landfill fees to community groups volunteering to conduct litter cleanups in state streams or on public lands.
More than 3,500 volunteers from nearly 150 groups participated in the 2022 cleanup, removing 146 tons of litter and collecting 1,190 tires from 292 acres of public lands and 55 miles of streams, while remediating 87 dumps.
To register, submit the online application at https://apps.dep.wv.gov/ppod/make_it_shine.a5w. Once your project is approved, REAP staff will coordinate delivery of cleanup supplies, waste hauling and disposal. For more information, contact Chris Cartwright at DEPwvmis@wv.gov or by phone at 800-322-5530.
This event is completely dependent on volunteers.
REAP, whose motto is “Keeping WV Clean and Green,” was created in 2005 and strives to clean up West Virginia and rid the state of litter. The program empowers citizens to take ownership of their communities by providing technical, financial and resource assistance in cleanup and recycling efforts. More information is available on the REAP webpage — https://dep.wv.gov/environmental-advocate/reap
