Friday, March 13th, 2009
This year marks a milestone for Clean Ocean Action, the ocean advocacy coalition based in Sandy Hook: 25 years.
The group hopes to inspire more New Jerseyans to care for our waters this year, from cleaning shorelines at beach sweeps to signing petitions. On Feb. 28, COA hosted a sold-out celebration at Langosta Lounge in Asbury Park to launch a year of action for the ocean.
Green Jersey asked executive director Cindy Zipf about the group’s battles past and present, and (if you read to the end) her favorite Jersey beach.
GJ: What was the impetus behind COA’s founding in ‘84?
CZ: The waters off the Jersey Shore were the Ocean Dumping Capital of the World. We had eight ocean dumpsites: sewage sludge, toxic muck, cellar dirt, acid waste, industrial waste, deepwater municipal waste and a proposed ocean incineration site for PCB wastes. Our ocean was in terrible shape, there was a gigantic dead zone from Sandy Hook to Atlantic City, and a layer of foul-smelling slime coated the bottom of much of the areas off Sandy Hook to Monmouth Beach.
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Sunday, October 12th, 2008
This Saturday, clean up someone else’s trash. It’s good garbage karma.
Saturday, Oct. 18 is the day of Clean Ocean Action’s 23rd annual fall beach sweeps, the long-running public service event aimed at beautifying New Jersey’s waters and beaches. Volunteer from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at any of more than 60 sites. (Click here for more information.)
The event promises to yield trash that ranges from mundane to head-scratchingly strange. Last year’s sweepers found a car bumper and toilet seats.
COA’s spring sweep yielded the most trash ever. Which is either depressing (people are littering more) or exciting (volunteers are improving).
All ages are welcome to sweep, rain or shine, and groups of 10 are asked to preregister. Bring gloves and wear hard-soled shoes, no sandals.
Thursday, April 24th, 2008
Above: That's no shell. Image via youmaybegreen.com.
Volunteers with Clean Ocean Action scoured New Jersey beaches last year and found not only sand and surf, but loads of trash — the most in the annual cleanup’s 22-year history, the organization said today.
Cigarette filters were found in the largest numbers, and plastics — caps, lids, wrappers, straws, bottles, utensils — rounded out the list of top offenders. In the realm of the wacky, volunteers reported finding a paint roller, 8-track tape, microwave, TV set and three toilet seats. (If you’re missing any of these items, please remind yourself to not bring them to the beach next time.)
The 2008 Spring Beach Sweeps will take place this Saturday at 9 a.m. Click here for more information, and here for locations.
