HOUSTON, Feb. 13, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- The Port of Houston Authority (PHA) will join forces with thousands of dedicated volunteers on March 25 to help clean Houston area waterways during the 13th annual River, Lakes, Bays 'N Bayous Trash Bash. The PHA's employee volunteers, the SuPORTers, will coordinate cleanup activities at the Baytown Nature Center, located at 1613 Bayway Drive in Baytown.
"Litter has an insidious effect on our community," said Grace Moolchan, PHA Community Relations Manager. "Some of that trash ends up in our storm drain system, eventually emptying into Galveston Bay. The port authority's dedicated corps of employee volunteers -- the SuPORTers -- are pleased to help solve this problem by practicing good environmental stewardship."
As the newest of the 12 Trash Bash sites located throughout the Houston/Galveston area, the Baytown Nature Center comprises about 400 acres of hardwood uplands, high quality tidal marsh, and freshwater wetlands. The center also features a bird sanctuary, a trail system, 60 acres of tidal marsh, a butterfly garden, and a children's nature discovery playground. Those wanting to participate are urged to call 713-670-2630 or register at: www.trashbash.org
The mission of Trash Bash is to promote environmental stewardship of our watershed through public education by utilizing hands-on educational tools and by developing partnerships between environmental, governmental, and private organizations. Last year, nearly 2,800 volunteers collected 74 tons of trash from 10 sites around the Houston-Galveston area.
The Port of Houston Authority
The Port of Houston Authority owns and operates the public facilities located along the Port of Houston, the 25-mile long complex of diversified public and private facilities designed for handling general cargo, containers, grain and other dry bulk materials, project and heavy lift cargo, and other types of cargo. Each year, more than 6,600 vessels call at the port, which ranks first in the U.S. in foreign waterborne tonnage, second in overall total tonnage, and sixth largest in the world. The Port Authority plays a vital role in ensuring navigational safety along the Houston Ship Channel, which has been instrumental in Houston's development as a center of international trade. The Barbours Cut Container Terminal and Central Maintenance Facility are the first of any U.S. port facilities to develop and implement an innovative Environmental Management System that meets the rigorous standards of ISO 14001. Additionally, the port is an approved delivery point for Coffee "C" futures contracts traded on the New York Board of Trade's Coffee, Sugar & Cocoa Exchange. For more information, please visit www.portofhouston.com
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