SPRINGFIELD, Vermont – With a massive effort, a group of Hypertherm employees was able to collect a 50 cubic-foot container of trash from the Black River in Springfield. On Friday, August 16, team leaders Rick Paulsen and Ryan Gay, along with Kelly Stettner, leader of the Black River Action Team (BRAT), tackled a 3-mile stretch of river between North Springfield and the mall. The Hypertherm folks brought their own kayaks, and longtime BRAT volunteer Richard Barber brought his flat-bottomed fishing boat, which served as a scout boat and trash barge. Richard and his “wingman” patrolled as far from the river as possible, collecting dozens of tires and anything else they could carry from the Hypertherm paddlers.

The City of Springfield supported the effort by providing the dumpster, and at the end of the cleanup, it contained an estimated 300 pounds of rusted scrap metal, 108 tires (many of which were decades old), and a range of items from electronics to children’s patio furniture, several hundred feet of plastic strips, shopping carts, and more. A truly impressive job by Hypertherm.

Hypertherm is planning a second employee-led cleanup this year, and BRAT is hosting its 25th annual RiverSweep cleanup on September 7. The headquarters will be located at Riverside Middle School in Springfield. All of these events are part of the Connecticut River Conservancy’s annual Source to Sea cleanup. Pre-register for RiverSweep or find another cleanup near you at www.sourcetoseacleanup.org. For more information about RiverSweep, contact BRAT at [email protected] or leave your contact information at 802-738-0456.