The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), in partnership with Keep Oklahoma Beautiful (KOB), will recognize The City of Muskogee as an Oklahoma Clean Community during a special ceremony scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on Friday, September 23rd, 2016. The ceremony will be held at 229 W. Okmulgee Street in Muskogee.

The City of Muskogee and its residents began holding large, city-wide cleanup events in 2015. Approximately 1,300 citizens participate in the events to pick up litter and eliminate illegal dump sites. In addition to these cleanup events, the City of Muskogee offers free disposal events year round. The city hosts two household hazardous waste and tire collection events, two curbside pickups for large trash and debris, and seven free dump days each year. These occasions encourage residents to responsibly dispose of trash and other items that are dangerous to human health and the environment.

Muskogee works closely with the Muskogee Police Department and Code Enforcement to identify neighborhoods in need of help during the annual cleanup. Citizens in the identified neighborhoods are offered free curbside assistance to haul away large trash and other hard-to-handle items

As a result of their efforts, Muskogee is now an Oklahoma Clean Community.

DEQ and KOB recognize entities that participate in at least one tire collection event annually and other environmental service projects. DEQ encourages entities to coordinate a community-wide cleanup of used tires. DEQ’s Tire Indemnity Fund will pay to haul off old, unused, or abandoned tires. Tire piles can be an eyesore and attract unwelcome pests, such as mosquitoes and rodents. After cleanup is complete and all criteria for other service projects are met, a community can be recognized as an Oklahoma Clean Community.

More information on the Used Tire Recycling Program is available at https://www.deq.ok.gov/land-protection-division/recycling/tire-recycling/ or by contacting Ferrella March at ferrella.march@deq.ok.gov or 405-702-5175.

###