Press Release

Second Clean Up Event in Temescal Valley
Yields Tons of Trash!
Waste Management and Temescal Valley volunteers work
together for a cleaner community

Temescal Valley, CA, April 2, 2009 - On Saturday March 28th, over 70 volunteers gathered bright and early to participate in the second Keep America Beautiful “Great American Cleanup.” These motivated volunteers collected over 30,000 pounds of trash and hundreds of tires that had been illegally dumped.

The Temescal Valley cleanup event took place in the Temescal Wash area, a waterway that drains into the Santa Ana River, located adjacent to Interstate 15. The Temescal Wash is an important home to endangered and declining wildlife species, including endangered birds like the Least Bell’s Vireo.

"Waste Management is committed to environmental protection – not just at our facilities but also in the communities we serve," said Mike Williams, District Manager for WM’s El Sobrante Landfill. "Events like the Temescal Valley Clean Up promote community pride and highlight the importance of making sure we keep the Inland Empire a safe and green place for all of us to live and work."

The cleanup event was sponsored by a $5,000 grant awarded to Waste Management’s El Sobrante Landfill through its corporate partnership with Keep America Beautiful. The Great American Cleanup is the nation's largest community improvement program; it takes place annually from March 1 through May 31 and attracts more than 3 million volunteers to clean up and improve over 17,000 communities across America.

The Temescal Valley event included a treasure hunt in different areas of the clean up to make it fun for the kids and give them an opportunity to walk away with a prize for their hard work. Volunteers celebrated their success with a barbeque afterwards.

A dynamic volunteer reflected on the day's cleanup: "Thank you for allowing my troop the opportunity to give back to our community by participating in the Temescal Wash Cleanup! We all had a great time and left with a feeling of pride," said Bill Peck, Scoutmaster Troop 13.

Waste Management’s El Sobrante Landfill is located in the unincorporated area of Riverside County. The landfill serves more than one million Inland Empire residents and is a critical component of Riverside County and the greater Los Angeles region’s infrastructure. The site has more than XXX acres in permanent preservation and is a critical component of preserving open space in Riverside County. For more information on the landfill, please go to www.keepinginlandempireclean.com.

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