To the editor:

Maybe youve seen it. Youre walking along the dirt path in Old Town, along the river. You can see it any Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday … any day of the week. There, sometimes in the water, but always in the rocks along the jagged shore trash: plastics bottles, cups, wrappers, buckets, sports balls and Styrofoam. You name it; its bound to be in there.

From my experience this isnt something that just started happening but has been an ongoing problem for years. In fact, with the recent completion of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge project, I imagine the problem has gotten worse. During a semi-annual cleanup organized by the Park Service, I personally pulled out two-by-fours and other material I suspect was used in the course of construction.

The City of Alexandria does a good job keeping the city clean the streets, our parks in what is truly a commendable effort. However, that work seems to stop abruptly at the shoreline. What were left with is an eyesore for city residents and visitors alike. Worse, this trash contaminates and destroys the natural habitat of the flora and fauna. The City Council should make an effort to address this problem. The city has made concerted efforts on going green through its Eco-City Alexandria Action Plan. Keeping our shores clean should be a basic tenet of just such an effort and one that is relatively easy to address. While I dont expect such efforts to single-handedly address the overall concerns of the Potomac River the city needs to think globally and act locally!

Finally, the responsibility doesnt solely fall on city government. Everyone needs to do his or her part. I have volunteered during semi-annual cleanups of the riverside and I often jog along the river and stop to pick up trash before returning home. For those of you already doing your part thank you and keep up the good work!

Jason DuBois
Alexandria