Centralia, Pennsylvania needs your help! Volunteer your time, make a donation, or become a financial sponsor to make the town a better place.
On Saturday, October 19, 2019 from 9AM to 3PM, EPCAMR will be hosting the 6th annual Centralia Cleanup Day event to dispose of trash that has been dumped there illegally. Volunteers and donations are needed to support the cleanup effort. A free lunch will be provided for those who are able to attend the event.
The event is an opportunity to make a difference and to meet past and current residents of Centralia, along with other friends and family connected with the town. The 2019 cleanup will focus on several areas including the Graffiti Highway and Byrnesville Road.
To Join The Cleanup On Saturday, October 19, 2019:
- RSVP using the Official Event Page by clicking the “Going” button. Your RSVP will help to ensure enough food and supplies are brought.
- Arrive at 9AM at the Centralia Municipal Building at 600 Locust Ave., Centralia, PA 17921 (View Map)
- Wear an orange shirt in solidarity and for safety. Volunteers will be working near roads and traffic.
- Check in and sign a liability waiver. Everyone participating in the event must visit the Centralia Municipal Building and sign a waiver before starting to help.
On the day of the cleanup, volunteers are needed to:
- Pickup trash, bag it, and place it in dumpsters. If you are able, bring a pickup truck or Jeep to move garbage.
- Grill and cook food, in order to feed attendees.
- Play music. If you have a band and are interested in playing a set over lunch (about 1.5 hours), please contact contact Bobby Hughes of EPCAMR.
Other Ways That You Can Help Centralia:
If you cannot attend the cleanup day, there are other ways that you can help, such as:
- Provide refreshments, water, pizzas, snacks, or other food to feed those who will be volunteering their time.
- Donate money to support the effort, buy supplies, and purchase food.
- Become a financial sponsor by contacting Bobby Hughes, Executive Director of EPCAMR. Funds will help with buying cleanup supplies and go towards placing security cameras in problem areas.
- Contact Bobby Hughes if you have other suggestions or ideas for how you might contribute.
EPCAMR (Eastern PA Coalition of Abandon Mine Reclamation) is again leading the cleanup effort in Centralia. Organizations interested in financial sponsorships may contact Bobby Hughes of EPCAMR. Sponsors’ funds will be used to offset the dumpster tipping fees, trashcans, and cleanup supplies. They will also go towards the continuing effort to place security cameras near areas where trash is frequently dumped. If enough funding is raised, safety orange T-shirts will be printed and feature the names of the sponsors.
In addition, donated money will be used to purchase milkweed and native wildflower seeds. These will be planted in the areas that have been cleared of trash. The goal of the seeding effort is to prevent invasive Japanese knotweed and multiflora rose from taking over.
Every little bit counts towards cleaning up the area, which has been impacted by a long-burning, underground mine fire. If you are not able to attend the cleanup day, please consider donating money to show your support.
Other types of donations (such as mailed checks or supplies) can be directed to:
EPCAMR
c/o Bobby Hughes, Clean-Up Event
101 S. Main St.
Ashley, PA 18706
Why does Centralia, Pennsylvania need cleaned up?
In recent years, Centralia has become a popular place for tourists to visit, with thousands of people coming to the town each year. Unfortunately, some of these visitors decide to leave their trash behind. Others use the borough as a dumping ground for their unwanted items. While each incident of littering may seem small, when totaled these amount to tons of garbage left in Centralia annually.
Previous cleanup days in Centralia have removed household goods, furniture, old tires, vacuum cleaners, baby diapers, carpets, refrigerators, sinks, toilets, plastics, bottles, glass, cans, and other discarded waste products. Though it is less than before, the litter still continues to accumulate, which is why your support is so important.
The areas in Centralia targeted for cleanup in 2019 are:
- The Graffiti Highway and the wooded area south of this
- Byrnesville Road (the road leading from Ashland to Centralia)
- Railroad Avenue
- Laurel Street across from the Municipal Building
- Big Mine Run Road (if there are people with trucks to haul garbage up to the dumpsters from this area)
Over the years, EPCAMR has built a coalition of partners in support the annual Centralia Cleanup Day including Pagnotti Enterprises, Inc., Mostik’s Disposal, Centone Productions, Joe Sapienza II the director of Centralia: Pennsylvania’s Lost Town, several of the remaining local residents, Tom Hynoski (Fire Chief of Centralia, Pennsylvania), regional college students, former Centralia residents, and volunteers who share a passion for cleaning up the borough of Centralia.
Thanks to EPCAMR for organizing this event and providing the information found in this article.
Trash in Centralia, Pennsylvania, August 2019. Credit: EPCAMR
