This area is known for it’s rubber production, but the same rubber that has brought pride to the area is also polluting a local river.

An estimated 140 to 150 tires were collected from the Cuyahoga River Saturday morning at the Middle Cuyahoga Cleanup.

Thirty to 40 volunteers covered approximately two miles of river over the course of the morning.

The cleanup was funded by a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency.

“As the river restores itself, the need to clean up the river should dissolve,” project engineer Tim Gott said. “We don’t anticipate more tires being thrown in the river.”

Kent State students also participated as part of Super Service Saturdays.

“Today went really well,” said Megan Odell-Scott, Ohio Campus Compact American VISTA Community Service Leader. “I think it will make students more aware and hopefully do more volunteering opportunities.”

The river cleanup was sponsored by Stow, Kent, Munroe Falls, Portage County and the Ohio EPA among others.

“The river is much better than it’s ever been,” said Caroline Arnold, member of the Kent Environmental Council since 1970. “It smelled bad. Rumor had it that if you walked in, it would dissolve your sneakers.”

Contact public affairs reporter Emily Andrews at [email protected].