In Reedville, VA, Omega Protein Partners with Local Non-Profit Group to Clean Up Cockrell's Creek

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NAPS volunteers offload debris before returning to Cockrell's Creek.

The group of volunteers, which included employees from Omega Protein's Reedville facility, removed 3,800 pounds of trash and debris from the creek.

Reedville, VA (PRWEB) October 03, 2013

In Northumberland County, Cockrell's Creek is a lot cleaner thanks to a partnership joining Omega Protein, the Northumberland Association for Progressive Stewardship (NAPS), and a dedicated group of local students, Boy Scouts, and other volunteers. Saturday, September 28th marked the company's third annual creek cleanup with NAPS to remove trash and other polluting debris. "We've been helping out with similar cleanup efforts for years, going back to the 1990s," said Monty Deihl, the company's Director of Fishing Operations. The group of volunteers, which included employees from Omega Protein's Reedville facility, removed 3,800 pounds of trash and debris from the creek.

Deihl says the company was "happy to pitch in." "We worked directly with local boat captains to shuttle volunteers to and from the cleanup site."

Omega Protein provided dock space to serve as a "deployment zone," from which the captains were able to transport volunteers and also drop-off recovered litter before returning to the cleanup site. And the debris was not always small in size. Among the buckets, tarps, and other small, miscellaneous recovered items was an entire rusty, battered boat. For that particular item, Omega Protein provided a forklift from their facility in Reedville to aid in its transport and disposal.

But the company's contributions to the cleanup were not limited solely to transportation. Omega Protein staff worked alongside NAPS and their volunteers to dispose of the waste once it was collected. First, NAPS volunteers sorted through the thousands of pounds of trash and removed recyclable goods. NAPS made sure that everything that could be recycled went to proper facilities for processing. Omega Protein handled the remaining refuse, nearly two tons of it in total.

And when volunteers needed a bite to eat, Omega Protein was also there to help. Deihl says that the company was, "excited to again join in the cleanup effort, and happy to provide meals for the volunteers."

This third annual cleanup is yet another addition to Omega Protein's multiyear investment in environmental initiatives. The company recently debuted new technology, also at their Reedville, Virginia facility, that will conserve 300,000 gallons of water daily and 18 million gallons yearly. Over the past six years, since 2008, Omega Protein has put more than $20 million towards eco-friendly endeavors, according to the company's Director of Public Affairs, Ben Landry.

Photo credits: Northumberland Association for Progressive Stewardship (NAPS)

About Omega Protein    
Omega Protein Corporation (NYSE: OME) is a century old nutritional company that develops, produces, and delivers healthy products throughout the world to improve the nutritional integrity of functional foods, dietary supplements, and animal feeds. Omega Protein's mission is to help people lead healthier lives with better nutrition through sustainably sourced ingredients such as highly-refined, omega-3 rich fish oil, specialty proteins, and nutraceuticals.

About NAPS
Founded in 1989, the Northumberland Association for Progressive Stewardship (NAPS) is a non-profit organization that works through education, monitoring, and hands-on stewardship assistance to bring together farmers, watermen, businesses, educators, and other concerned citizens. NAPS seeks to help improve the environmental quality of the Chesapeake Bay, advocate for and monitor sound land use policies, prevent and reduce all forms of pollution, and promote educational programs aimed at achieving these goals.

Contact:

Ben Landry - Director of Public Affairs for Omega Protein
(713) 940-6183

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