Community

Community Involvment

At RTI, we believe that we don't serve just our customers.  We also serve our local communities.  Each location is involved in a number of activities ranging from community service, partnering with universities, and various charities. 

Spotlight: Ashtabula River Cleanup

RTI is proud to be a partner in the Ashtabula River cleanup, which has resulted in a cleaner, deeper Ashtabula River and sounder ecological environment for this Lake Erie tributary. At three years and a total price tag of 75 million dollars, Ashtabula was the largest river cleanup on the Great Lakes. 630,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment was dredged from the Ashtabula riverbed in Ohio and placed in a special double-lined landfill located at RTI's former Ashtabula Sodium Plant.

Spearheaded by the Army Corps of Engineers, the US EPA, the Ohio EPA, and the Ashtabula River Partnership - a partnership of private citizens, government agencies, and business and industry leaders, - the Ashtabula cleanup sought to remedy the area contamination and restore the ecological, social, and economic benefits of the river. For years, navigation of the Ashtabula was restricted because of the buildup of contaminated sediment (a variety of chemicals were found in the sediment, including PCBs, and heavy metals). This affected aquatic habitats, as well as the drinking water, and in 1997, the Ohio Department of Public Health issued a warning advising the limited consumption of fish caught from the river. This and several other incidences along the Great Lakes basin led to the Great Lakes Legacy Act of 2002, a special initiative aimed at cleaning up 31 toxic hot spots known as "areas of concern" around the Great Lakes.

Thanks to the efforts of RTI and the many Ashtabula cleanup contributors, the river has been restored. Both commercial and private boats navigate the Ashtabula freely, the water and surrounding habitats are safe, and this Great Lake is great again.