From the Examiner: "An Illinois-based environmental group plans to spearhead a large-scale environmental cleanup in the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers in late March.The Capital River Relief cleanup effort, launched by Chad Pregracke of the Living Lands and Waters nonprofit agency in cooperation with a host of local environmental groups, will work to remove trash from the polluted rivers waters starting March 28. This year's efforts seeks to beat the 40 to 50 tons the cleanup pulled from the rivers last year. The program, which lasts until April 22, calls on hundreds of volunteers to scour the shoreline of the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers picking up trash that will be stacked onto a 110-by-30 foot barge which stores the bottles, bowling balls, refrigerators and coconuts that Pregracke said volunteers have found over the last three annual cleanups. By the end of the nearly monthlong event, the trash on the barge resembles an aluminum popcorn bag after heating on a stove, ready to burst, Pregracke said." For more information, see the Living Lands and Waters web site and the Capital River Relief site (though it still just shows info from last year's cleanup). The Anacostia Watershed Society is said to be participating in the cleanup as well.

Yesterday it was announced that Florida Rock Industries was acquired by Vulcan Materials for $4.6 billion in cash and stock (h/t to reader Mark). Like all good citizens of the 21st Century, my initial reaction was "Very nice, but how does this affect ME?" The Florida Rock property along the Anacostia River is actually owned by FRP Development (aka Florida Rock Properties, not the company just acquired by Vulcan) which is a subsidary not of Florida Rock Industries, but Patriot Transportation Holding Inc. Whaaa? Here's how it shakes out, according to the Patriot company profile at Reuters: "Florida Rock Properties, Inc. owns real estate, of which a substantial portion is under mining royalty agreements or leased to Florida Rock Industries, Inc. (FRI), a related party." You can get a feel for how these separate-but-related companies are intertwined by reading these transactions summaries. But to go back to the original question, of how the Vulcan Materials acqusition of FRI might impact the Anacostia riverfront Florida Rock project--I have no idea, but will watch for tidbits and hints.