Storms cover SoCal beaches in trash
photo by luxomedia (source: Flickr Creative Commons)
A series of rainstorms in Southern California have resulted in debris-lined beaches strewn with ‘mangled shopping carts, bicycle tires, tennis shoes and thousands of plastic cups and bottles’, the Los Angeles Times reports. Beaches in LA and Orange County were particularly hard hit, especially those located near river mouths.
Stormy weather can cause refuse to gather in waterways such as the San Gabriel and Los Angeles Rivers, which is then deposited on beaches. Since this is a common and regular occurrence in Southern California, many residents are practical and take the trash in stride. Surfers still surf and typically eco-minded Californians – such as the organization Save Our Beach – engage their sunny dispositions in cleanup activities.
After rainstorms, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health cautions people to stay away from ocean waters near storm drains, creeks and rivers to avoid bacteria and chemicals that may have contaminated the area.
–Los Angeles Times
Another article from the Associated Press further details California’s winter weather woes. Besides mountains of metal shopping carts, plastic dolls and other weird waste on SoCal beaches, the storms have brought mudslides, snowdrifts and tornado warnings further afield. In some instances hazardous waste makes cleanup too hot to handle, like on parts Imperial Beach near San Diego, which is close to the Tijuana River.
“Even if they do have gloves and masks, it’s too dangerous,” Dan Murphy, of Surfrider, said of the beach volunteers. “Whatever the trash is on the beach, it’s been flowing in the sewage and it’s covered with the stuff.”
–Associated Press
Check out beachcleanup.org for plenty of information and statistics about beach and ocean trash, how it gets there, its effects on environmental and human health, and what can be done about it.
by Graham Land
Graham Land grew up in Washington, D.C., where he was part of the local hardcore punk scene. Through this unique musical movement he became involved in grass roots anti-racist activism, animal rights and Ecology. Since 2000 Graham has lived in Europe, earning an MA in history from Malmö University in Sweden and working as a musician, English teacher, sports therapist, customer service agent and writer. Graham has a podcast with author Saci Lloyd and is currently pretending to work on his first novel.
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Tags: Associated Press, beach, California, Los Angeles, ocean, plastic, river, SoCal, Southern, storm, trash, weather
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