--Alex Coolman
Newport-Mesa residents will get a chance to tackle the problem of
beach pollution in a hands-on way Saturday during the 16th annual
California Coastal Cleanup Day.
The statewide effort sponsored by the California Coastal Commission
will see volunteers from Santa Cruz to San Diego scouring the coastline
for debris.
In Newport Beach, there will be several meeting sites for those who
want to lend a hand.
A Back Bay cleanup will start at 9 a.m. at Shellmaker Island, which is
on Shellmaker Road in Newport Beach.
Another cleanup will begin at 9 a.m. at Vista Park off Victoria Place
in Costa Mesa.
Stephanie Barger, environmental project manager for the Costa
Mesa-based Earth Resource Foundation, said the second cleanup will
address one of the problems that is not dealt with at traditional beach
cleanups: the large volume of trash that is dumped into the watershed and
eventually makes its way downstream.
"There's going to be a lot going on, and there's a lot of trash to
pick up over there," she said.
The Surfrider Foundation will hold cleanups starting at 9 a.m. at
Newport Pier and the "Big Corona" section of Corona del Mar State Beach.
All of the events will last about three hours and are open to the
public.
"We want neighbors to come," Barger said. "We want them to understand
how much the things they do on a daily basis affect our environment and
water."
Information: (949) 509-6684 or (949) 645-5163.
