Lindsay Lopez
Staff Writer
Heal the Bay collected its “one- millionth pound of ocean-bound debris” at the 23rd annual Coastal Cleanup Day on Saturday.
Heal the Bay coordinated the event with the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors. The cleanup drew 12,262 volunteers to 71 locations spanning the California coast, as well as inland enclaves, from Tujunga to Long Beach.
Malibu hosted 1,111 volunteers. Current cleanup totals for Malibu are 1,200 pounds of trash and 86.7 pounds of recyclables, according to Heal the Bay’s development program manager, Natalie Burdick.
Pepperdine made a modest showing at the Zuma Beach site, with a team of four members. Senior Brett Smith, environmental programs coordinator for the Pepperdine Volunteer Center, organized the team’s carpool. Smith said he was unfazed by the small turn out.
“In a way, it’s kind of my fault,” he said. “I didn’t advertise it heavily. Plus, it’s not the most attractive thing to get up on a Saturday and head to a beach cleanup. So, I’m not surprised or disappointed.”
Some Zuma volunteers said there was not as much trash as they expected. A group of students from Hamilton Senior High School in Los Angeles opened their mostly empty collection bags. Their consensus: “Just a few cigarette butts, bottle caps and paper scraps.”
Pepperdine freshman Ian McDonald also said he was surprised at Zuma’s tidiness.
“We figured Zuma would be a good place to volunteer, especially after a triathlon, which draws big crowds and trash,” he said. “It’s pretty clean. We did find someone’s race number from the triathlon, though.”
After a few persistent hours, the Pepperdine team uncovered an abandoned dwelling near the lagoon.
“It was obvious that a homeless person had been living there,” Smith said. “We ended up collecting about 30 pounds of trash there, which is pretty cool.”
Unfortunately, trash isn’t the only source of Malibu’s ecological woes. Fecal bacteria are more directly relatable to illness and public health, according to Burdick.
Heal the Bay cites stomach flu, ear infection, upper respiratory infection and major (full body) skin rash as illnesses triggered by exposure to bacteria-infested waters. In addition to physical repercussions, Malibu can be charged thousands of dollars in fines if bacteria levels in coastal waters exceed the legal limit.
To determine water quality, Heal the Bay measures Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs), which are limits on the magnitude and frequency of fecal bacteria in local waters. The TMDL reports are not designed to measure the amount of trash or toxins at beaches.
The organization posts weekly and annual grades. Storm water runoff carries animal waste, motor oil and pesticides down to the beach, so beaches in close proximity to storm drains and freshwater outlets yield worse grades.
For example, the Los Angeles County Beach Report Card for 2007-2008 showed that Broad Beach at Trancas Creek mouth earned an “A” during dry season and an “F” during wet season. Surfrider Beach (breach point) earned a “C” during dry season and an “F” during wet season. Marie Canyon storm drain at Puerco Beach earned straight “Fs”, while El Pescador State Beach, Encinal Canyon at El Matador State Beach and Pena Creek at Las Tunas County Beach boasted straight “A+s.”
In March, the Los Angeles Regional Water Control Board sent letters to 20 cities, including Malibu, threatening fines of $10,000 for each day in which a violation of the legal bacteria limit occurs. The board urged cities to comply with legal limits or pay up. According to Brandie Sanchez, administrative assistant to Malibu’s Public Works director Bob Brager, no fines currently have been paid.
There are efforts to halt the influx of both bacteria and toxins at Malibu beaches. The city has developed a few methods to stymie ocean-bound toxins, such as the Hazardous Waste Roundup Program, which gives residents the opportunity to dispose of used oil, oil filters, antifreeze, car batteries and latex paint on the third Saturday of each month. Malibu’s Clean Water Team is working to keep coastal waters clean and educate locals about storm drain hazards.
Smith said he has various environmental programs planned, including a tree planting ceremony this coming Saturday. However, he expressed interest in contributing to the coastal cause in particular.
“I’m trying to do a wide range of things to get as many students involved as possible,” Smith said. “Coastal activities are easier because they’re so close.”