Duquesne Light Employee Volunteers Collect Almost 20 Yards of Trash During Inaugural River Trail Day
October 16, 2020
On Friday, Oct. 9, nearly 20 Duquesne Light Company (DLC) employees volunteered for the inaugural River Trail Day to help clean the shorelines and trails along the Ohio River behind our Seymour Street and Woods Run facilities. Volunteers spent the day collecting and properly disposing of 17 cubic yards of trash, including 132 tires.
Until this year, DLC had participated in the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Committee’s annual River Sweep event for 30 years. This year, DLC shifted gears by teaming up exclusively with nonprofits Friends of the Riverfront and Allegheny CleanWays for the first River Trail Day. Led by John Bigi, environmental services supervisor at DLC, the event was an opportunity for DLC to partner with local organizations that are committed to protecting our environment.
“While it’s great that many people are spending more time outdoors these days, it’s crucial that we respect the environment and dispose of trash and other items in a responsible way,” said Bigi. “I’m extremely thankful for our employees and community partners who participated in this important event. And I’m especially grateful to Dale Lengyel from our Security team and our Property Services, Vegetation Management and Transportation groups for their tremendous help.”
Volunteer Liz Lengyel, work plan/scheduling associate for DLC’s Metering team, won a prize for finding the most interesting piece of trash — a pony figurine. Other notable items included TVs, mattresses and a skateboard.
“It was amazing to see the full dumpster and record-breaking number of tires,” said volunteer Emily Foster, GIS analyst, DLC. “It feels good to know that, through this event, we’re making a positive impact on our community and the environment.”
In addition to the event, DLC donated $2,500 each to Friends of the Riverfront and Allegheny CleanWays to help support their efforts.
Commitment to the Community
Even during the pandemic, DLC is committed to finding ways to safely give back to our communities and support our neighbors in need. Employee volunteers have participated in a number of opportunities in recent months, including:
- Partnering with Rebuilding Together Pittsburgh, the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank and Faith Restorations to deliver food to customers in need.
- Teaming up with United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania to pack school supplies for local teachers.
- Supporting the Jerome Bettis Bus Stops Here Foundation’s “Pack the Bus” technology drive to collect repurposed laptops and tablets for local students.
- Helping the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy prepare several of its community gardens for winter.
This Monday, the company will launch its “Campaign for the Community” employee giving initiative, where employees will have an opportunity to donate to local nonprofits of their choice and receive a dollar-for-dollar company match.