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Tackling Marine Debris

Tackling Marine Debris. Kirsten James Water Quality Director Heal the Bay. Heal the Bay is a nonprofit environmental organization dedicated to making Southern California coastal waters and watersheds, including Santa Monica Bay, safe, healthy and clean. The Changing Face of Water Pollution.

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Tackling Marine Debris

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  1. Tackling Marine Debris Kirsten James Water Quality Director Heal the Bay

  2. Heal the Bay is a nonprofit environmental organization dedicated to making Southern California coastal waters and watersheds, including Santa Monica Bay, safe, healthy and clean.

  3. The Changing Face of Water Pollution

  4. Malibu Coastline After Rain Event

  5. Marine Debris

  6. Extent of the Problem • 60-80% of all marine debris is plastic, and 90% of floating marine debris is plastic • 3.5 million tons of plastics off CA • 5 million mi2 garbage patch • 6x the amount of plastic than plankton Photo: Algalita Foundation Photo: Algalita Foundation Sources: CA Coastal Commission; AMRF; AMRF; C.J. Moore et al (2001)

  7. Marine Life Impacts Photo: Whale Rescue Team Photo: CA Coastal Commission Photo: Vanderlip

  8. Economic Impacts • Tourism largest industry in CA • Ocean Economy valued at $46 billion • Ocean-dependent industries add over $17 billion and 370,000 jobs to California’s economy Sources: National Ocean Economics Program (2005); The Plastic and Marine Debris Waste Reduction, Recycling and Composting Act

  9. Clean-up costs add up… • Los Angeles County: $4,157,388 (annual clean-up cost of 31 miles of beach) • City of Santa Monica: $541,000 (annual cost of clean-up of plastic waste on the beach) • City of Long Beach:$878,262 (1998-99 cost of gathering and disposing of trash a the mouth of the LA River during the rainy season) Sources: LA River Trash TMDL; City of Santa Monica

  10. Solutions….

  11. REGULATION

  12. Trash TMDLs • East Fork San Gabriel • Ballona Creek and Wetlands • Los Angeles River • Legg Lake, Machado Lake, Ventura River Estuary, Lake Elizabeth, Munz Lake, Lake Hughes, Revolon Slough and Beardsley Wash • Malibu Creek

  13. LEGISLATION

  14. OPC Resolution on Marine Debris • Reduce sources of plastic marine debris • Reduce single-use plastic packaging • Remove derelict fishing gear • Ban toxic plastic packaging • Increase enforcement of laws to eliminate pollution by nurdles

  15. Statewide Legislation • “Nurdles” – AB 258 • Derelict Fishing Gear – AB 899 • Plastic Bags – AB 2058 Photo: CA Coastal Commission Photo: Algalita Foundation

  16. Clean Seas Coalition

  17. Local/County Ordinances Polystyrene and bags • City of Los Angeles – PS ban in city facilities; bags 2010 • Santa Monica – PS ban adopted 11/06; bags 2008 • Malibu – EPS ban adopted 2/05; bags 2008 • Manhattan Beach – Bags 2008 • County of LA – Bag reduction targets 2008

  18. EDUCATION

  19. Clean-ups

  20. Outreach A Day Without A Bag

  21. 2007 Partnerships Bags Donated By: LA County, City of LA, Ralphs, 1Bagatatime.com, Earthwise, BYORB.com, Ecobags.com, West 19th Bring Your Own Earth Resource Foundation Environment California Mujeres de la Tierra Palisades Cares Palisades Green Initiative Reusable Bag Coalition

  22. Corporate Sponsors

  23. Overview of Day Without A Bag 2007 • 22 cities in Los Angeles County signed resolutions designating the day as A Day Without a Bag • Over 10,000 reusable bags were handed out to Los Angeles County residents • 17 reusable bag giveaways took place throughout Los Angeles County

  24. Save the Date December 18th • Business partnerships • Volunteer at giveaway locations • Spread the word

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