Rhode Island Space Grant Funds Student Research on “Infamous History of Trash”
LINCOLN R.I. — On the banks of the Blackstone River in the Lincoln village of Manville, Barrington High School students stood on a reclaimed landfill and junkyard that still oozes with glass and plastic chunks from old cars and copper wiring. They said they already see the impacts of environmental pollution at home, and shared stories about trash piling up in their backyards after heavy rain and flooding.
The students, in town May 29 for an Advanced Placement environmental science and biology field trip, also had a chance to learn more about Rhode Island’s trashy history with garbage.
For centuries, textile and metal industries and residents pitched their waste into the river, where in 1972 one of the largest one-day environmental cleanups in US history pulled more than 10,000 tons of debris from the watershed. They removed cars, tires, furniture, a small bus, and more from the troubled river.
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Author Credit: Globe Staff, Updated June 5, 2024, 6:00 a.m.
Image Credit: COURTESY OF BARRINGTON HIGH SCHOOL