The Office of Government & Community Relations shared the following news story in their January 28, 2022 newsletter.
Above and Beyond: Richmond Field Station Meeker Slough Cleanup
October's atmospheric river dumped more than rain on the Richmond Field Station (RFS) and adjacent properties: debris — including tires, household trash, construction waste and items illegally dumped upstream — piled up along Meeker Slough and in the Western Stege Marsh. This week, staff from RFS Operations and Maintenance and the Office of Environment, Health & Safety conducted a series of cleanups, removing truckloads of trash over several days. Led by RFS Operations Director Justin Cocke, the work had to be completed prior to the Clapper Rail's breeding season, the Rail is a protected species of bird in the marshland co-managed by UC Berkeley and East Bay Regional Parks (EBRP). Timing the event with tides and weather, the cleanup crew included Doug Bello, Dan Huss, Carla Yanaz, and Tenzin Chomphel, who waded into the muck to haul large items trapped in the slough. The group retrieved a plethora of items including; a sofa, grill, bicycle, tires, patio furniture, construction debris, and lots of trash. In response to concerns raised by local residents, Richmond Mayor Butt convened a meeting of representatives of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, UC Berkeley, and EBRP, Friends of Meeker Slough, and interested neighbors. The campus, the City, and EBRP each committed to stepping up clean-up efforts in coastal lands under their respective responsibility.Cleanup work by the Berkeley team continued the morning of January 28.
Following the January 2022 meeting with the City and other parties, UC Berkeley conducted two staff trash pick-ups in addition to the large debris removal event described in the newsletter. The debris removal event involved a total of 38.5 person-hours to remove 10 cubic yards of trash and and additional 15 cubic yards of metal waste from Meeker Slough and at the outfall of Meeker ditch. Thank you RFS Operations & Maintenance!
