Publication Date
5-11-2015
Abstract
How to clean a quarry with ETSU's Department of Geosciences
What’s the best way to clear out wood, debris and bottles floating on the surface of the quarry that sits next to the Tweetsie Trail?
Make a 20-foot boom out of netting and floating bottles, of course, and skim the surface. What’s the best way to clear out wood, debris and bottles floating on the surface of the quarry that sits next to the Tweetsie Trail?
East Tennessee State University’s Dr. Mick Whitelaw, a professor in the department of geosciences, did just that with student volunteers. Monday morning during a quarry cleanup that involved kayaks and much heavier equipment.
So the floating, debris-collecting boom could pass more smoothly through the water, Whitelaw’s first goal for the students and helpers was to collect all the heavy pieces of wood that were near the water’s surface so Burleson Construction Co. could bring in 100-foot crane and fish out the floating pile of timber.
Whitelaw set the goal of getting the cleanup done in one day, a project he believes would greatly improve the sightliness of one of the 10-mile recreational trail’s most scenic spots. With the construction of the area’s Rotary clubs’ pavilion just above the water on the trail, the professor and his crew went to work on the quarry, which is owned by Larry and Betty Grindstaff, who walked over to check out the progress.
“The quarry is a beautiful from the trail, but with all the trash in it, it's really detracting from it,” Whitelaw said. “These students do community service and this is good way for them to get out here and help out and do something where they can really help the trail look a lot nicer and provide a service to the community.”
Johnson City Press May 11th, 2015 9:57 pm by TONY CASEY
Document Type
News Article
Comments
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