Benton County Joins the Mighty Mississippi Challenge

(KNSI) – Benton County will join its neighbor in answering the call to pull litter from the Mississippi River.

Goodhue County and the City of Red Wing are encouraging other communities along the river to participate in the Mighty Mississippi Cleanup Challenge. The community with the most volunteers will win a certificate and bragging rights.

Benton County will put up a dumpster at Bend in the River Park near Rice. The county asks that only debris gathered along the shoreline be placed in the dumpster and not home electronics, appliances or hazardous substances. Officials say dumping electronics, appliances, or hazardous items creates additional costs to the county.

The dumpster will be in the main parking lot starting Friday, May 5th, through Tuesday, May 9th. Boy Scouts from Sauk Rapids plan to help volunteer that weekend.

Stearns County said they would participate in the event earlier this month. The parks department will put up a dumpster for volunteers and residents to drop off garbage they find in or along the river. The trash bin will be in the main parking lot of Mississippi River County Park near Rice on Saturday, May 6th, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

The Mississippi runs for 2,340 miles throughout the country. Over the years, the river has served as a critical service to the environment, residents and businesses. Officials say it’s the sixth most endangered river in the U.S. due to pollution.

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