Port of Cleveland formally launching work boats for Cleveland Harbor cleanup; Two vessels to remove floating debris from river and downtown lakefront as part of Port’s environmental stewardship mission.
The Port of Cleveland is holding a Commissioning Ceremony for its new custom-made boats and their crews. The sister vessels – Flotsam & Jetsam – will work in tandem to collect and remove floating debris. This debris, which can range from tree limbs to plastic bottles, is more than an eyesore; it can be a problem for commercial and recreational boats as well as wildlife. Its removal is an important part of the ongoing effort to restore the health of the Cuyahoga River.
The Port designed and built the aluminum vessels with a $425,160 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. The boats can navigate the Cuyahoga River’s tight spaces, tow a 250-foot floating boom to sweep the river of floating debris, and will likely remove enough debris each year to fill dozens of dump trucks. The boats are operated by crews from the Downtown Cleveland Alliance, whose Downtown Ambassadors are well known for their work cleaning and enhancing city streets.
- WHAT: Commissioning Ceremony for Flotsam and Jetsam.
- WHEN: Wednesday, October 17th at 11 a.m. WHERE: North Coast Harbor between the Great Lakes Science Center and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.
The event is open to the public.