Contact: Susan Siravo
Office: (408) 265-2607, ext. 2290
Mobile: (408) 398-0754
September 16, 2009
SANTA CLARA COUNTY – This year marks the25th Anniversary of California Coastal Cleanup Day, which is the nation’s premier marine environment volunteer event and has been hailed by the Guinness Book of World Records as "the largest garbage collection" (1993). When combined with the International Coastal Cleanup, organized by The Ocean Conservancy and taking place on the same day, California Coastal Cleanup Day becomes part of one of the largest volunteer events of the year.
Each year, the Santa Clara Valley Water District joins the Creek Connections Action Group, which includes Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation and the City of San José, to host a Coastal Cleanup Day. This year, water district CEO Beau Goldie will be hosting a site on West Little Llagas Creek in Morgan Hill. We are asking volunteers to join him there or volunteer at one of our other locations throughout the county and help make a difference in our effort to remove trash, debris and recyclables that have collected and polluted local county waterways.
“Many people don’t realize the impact that they can have on our environment when they don’t properly dispose of garbage. When it rains, this waste ends up in the gutter, which drains into the nearest waterway and eventually into the bay,” said Valley Water Board Chair, Sig Sanchez.
Since the program started in 1985, close to 900,000 Californians have removed more than 13 million pounds of debris from our state's shorelines and coast. Debris, such as:
1,154,740 Bottle caps
5,236,619 Cigarette butts
1,252,749 Food wrappers
Just last year, 73,000 volunteers collected more than 1,480,000 pounds (740 tons) of trash and 178,000 pounds (89 tons) of recyclables from beaches, lakes, and creeks across California. In Santa Clara County alone, 1,331 volunteers turned out to remove 95,656 pounds (47.8 tons) of debris and 16,327 pounds (8.2 tons) of recyclables from 26 locations throughout the county. This year, organizers are hoping for even better results.
Individuals, clubs and classes are welcome to volunteer, as well as those looking to fulfill community service requirements. All youth under the age of 18 must have a parent/guardian signature on their Waiver of Liability and will also need adult supervision for the entire event.
The details of this year’s event are as follows:
Date: Sept. 19, 2009
Time: 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m.
Where: 35 specified cleanup locations (visit www.cleanacreek.org for locations)
Volunteers are encouraged to wear long pants, sturdy shoes, gloves and sunscreen and to bring their own pick-up sticks. Trash bags, extra gloves, first-aid supplies, water and refreshments will be provided at no cost.
For more volunteer information, Waiver of Liability forms and specific cleanup locations, please visit www.cleanacreek.org.
The Santa Clara Valley Water District manages water resources and provides stewardship for the county’s five watersheds, including 10 reservoirs, hundreds of miles of streams and groundwater basins. The water district also provides flood protection throughout Santa Clara County.