San Diego Coastkeeper

22nd Annual California Coastal Cleanup Day
Thousands Registered for World’s Largest Volunteer Event

SAN DIEGO, CA - In less than two weeks, San Diego’s scenic beaches and inland areas will be swarmed by volunteers for the 22nd annual California Coastal Cleanup Day (CCD) on September 16th from 9 AM to noon. This year, families, friends, service groups, and local businesses are expected to come out in record numbers to take part in a statewide and global volunteer effort to cleanup the pollution plaguing our environment.

First organized in 1985 by the California Coastal Commission, CCD began with just 2,500 volunteers. Over the years, in conjunction with International Coastal Cleanup, organized by the Ocean Conservancy, the event has grown to become one of the world’s largest volunteer events with all 50 states, over 90 countries, and more than 275,000 volunteers participating. In 2005, California Coastal Cleanup Day accounted for 12 percent of the worldwide participation in International Coastal Cleanup. Since the program started, nearly 700,000 Californians have removed more than 10 million pounds of trash and debris from 1,100 miles of coast and 1,000 miles of inland areas including canyons, parks, and inland shorelines of creeks, rivers and lakes.

Locally, on September 16th, over 60 different coastal and inland sites throughout San Diego County, from Baja California to Oceanside, will be cleaned. This year’s countywide event will build upon the success of last year’s cleanup, at which 4,685 volunteers removed 209,789 pounds of debris from over 120 miles of San Diego’s inland areas, waterways and coastlines. “In San Diego County, our waterways are not only an environmental issue, they play a vital role in our local economy and way of life,” states San Diego Coastkeeper’s executive director Bruce Reznik. “Debris on our beaches and inland waterways is a public health and safety threat that ends up in our ocean where it also poses a hazard to wildlife. California Coastal Cleanup Day is essential to keeping these waterways clean and debris-free.”

Surprisingly, not all trash and debris in our oceans come from boaters and beach-goers. The California Coastal Commission reports that nearly 80% of marine debris, such as cigarette butts and plastic containers originates as urban runoff through storm drains from inland areas. For humans, ocean pollution has been linked to multiple health issues including ear, nose and throat problems, skin irritations and cuts and abrasions. For animals and marine life, the pollution is a threat to their existence.

In addition to collecting trash, volunteers also collect data during the cleanup to better understand the nature and source of the trash and debris. Sarah Leone, volunteer and event manager for I Love A Clean San Diego, explains, “This an exciting and rare opportunity for volunteers to not only clean their local community, but also participate in a worldwide environmental study to make a true impact and assist in making lasting solutions to combat pollution.”

CCD is organized statewide by the California Coastal Commission and locally coordinated in San Diego County by San Diego Coastkeeper and I Love A Clean San Diego. The countywide event is presented by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors through the support of Supervisor Greg Cox and Supervisor Pam Slater-Price. Coordinators are also pleased to have Albertsons/Savon Pharmacy as a countywide sponsor, 10 News and Sempra Energy’s Come Clean San Diego partnership on board as media sponsors, and KPRI as the radio sponsor. Additional sponsors include: the City of San Diego’s Think Blue Program, Digiteers, SeaWorld, Hornblower, Birch Aquarium, Sony, San Diego County’s Department of Public Works, General Dynamics NASSCO, City of La Mesa, City of Chula Vista, Coastal Community Foundation, Dog Beach Dog Wash, and JetBlue Airways.

With Labor Day behind us, San Diego’s scenic beaches and inland areas are inundated with trash and debris. Summer in San Diego takes a toll on our natural resources and Coastal Cleanup Day is a great way for the San Diego community to come together to restore and protect our picturesque beaches and waterways. Volunteers of all ages can make a difference by joining people around the world in expressing their respect for our precious oceans and are encouraged to participate at one of the 60 sites throughout San Diego from 9 AM to noon. San Diego Coastkeeper and I Love A Clean San Diego will provide all necessary cleanup supplies. For event details or to register, please visit www.cleanupday.org

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San Diego Coastkeeper: San Diego Coastkeeper protects the region’s bays, beaches, watersheds and ocean for the people and wildlife that depend on them. We balance community outreach, education, and advocacy to promote stewardship of clean water and a healthy coastal ecosystem. Dedicated to the belief that we all have a right to clean water, Coastkeeper is the largest professional organization dedicated solely to the monitoring and protection of San Diego’s coastal areas and waterways.

I Love A Clean San Diego: Through outreach, community involvement and example, I Love A Clean San Diego leads and educates our community to actively conserve and enhance the environment. As one of San Diego County's oldest and largest environmental education non-profit organizations, ILACSD promotes awareness of environmental issues including resource conservation, waste reduction, recycling, community enhancement, and pollution prevention.