FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 14, 2016
MEDIA CONTACT
Kathryn Davis, Puget Soundkeeper Alliance, (206) 297-7002
Seattle, WA – On September 17, hundreds of people in Puget Sound and along the Washington coast will participate in the 31st annual International Coastal Cleanup, the largest single day volunteer effort to clean up beaches, lakes and rivers worldwide. Puget Soundkeeper will host cleanups at Alki Beach and Centennial/Myrtle Edwards Park, in Seattle, and support other cleanups across the Puget Sound watershed.
Ocean trash compromises the health of humans, wildlife, and the economies that depend on healthy waterways. The Coastal Cleanup tackles the problem at the source, removing harmful debris before it does serious damage. Over 18 million pounds of trash was collected by more than 800,000 volunteers at the 2015 cleanup, and Soundkeeper has removed more than 145,000 pounds from Puget Sound watersheds over the last decade.
Every piece of trash volunteers find during the International Coastal Cleanup will be tracked and included in an annual index of global marine debris published by the Ocean Conservancy. The data collected at ICC events provides information that can inform policy solutions and identify target areas where preventative solutions can make the biggest difference. Soundkeeper will release a regional report highlighting data from the Puget Sound watershed.
ICC events also raise local awareness and bring together people and organizations concerned with the health of our waterways.
The Alki and Centennial cleanup events will begin at 9:30 on Saturday morning. Other cleanups are taking place in Renton, Burien, Port Townsend, Tacoma, Bainbridge Island, and Bremerton. Washington CoastSavers is organizing additional cleanups on the outer coast and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
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Puget Soundkeeper is a community advocacy group whose mission is to protect and preserve the waters of Puget Sound. Established in 1984, Soundkeeper is a founding member of the international Waterkeeper Alliance.