Tires, railroad tracks, old machines pulled from Naugatuck River

WATERBURY, Conn. (WTNH) — Under the Interstate 84/Route 8 junction known as Waterbury’s Mixmaster, a group known as the PAL River Brigade waded in the water, taking trash out of the Naugatuck River.

“We really have to dig [debris] out of the dirt,” Sarah Rose, who helped clean up the river, said.

About a dozen teenagers make up the PAL River Brigade. The paid, six-week summer program allows students to work up to 25 hours per week.

“My first day on the job, we found 25 tires in one day,” said Aden Crenshaw, another group member.

The group has also pulled out metal poles and shopping crats.

Waterbury Mayor Paul Pernerewski pitched in on Monday morning. He said the group is contributing to the community and the ecosystem.

“We’ve done a lot of work to bring this back,” Pernerewski said. “We’ve got the Greenway Rail coming through here. So, to have [the group] out there actually pulling stuff out of the river makes a big difference to the environmental health of the river, as well.”

The river stretches 40 miles from Torrington, to Shelton and Derby. The waterway is steep, fills and empties quickly, and exposes debris buried for years.

“For the past eight years, the River Brigade has been taking out everything from railroad tracks that weight up to 1,800 pounds to old factory machines — one dating back to the 1800s,” Kevin Zak, PAL River Brigade supervisor, said.

Rose said that the program is more than a job — the cleanup is a calling.

“It’s something that I’ve been interested in since I was in second grade, helping and protecting the environment,” Rose said. “And it’s what I want to do once I get a more permanent job when I’m older.”

The teens said that they want a better Waterbury and a cleaner Connecticut.

“[River pollution is] not cool at all, especially because it effects the environment and stuff like that,” Crenshaw said. “We all want a good environment to live in. We all live here.”

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com.