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Beach Debris
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FYI
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The Texas Adopt-a-Beach program recruits volunteers twice a year to help clean up
and remove trash from Texas beaches. In the fall of 2002, 9,682 volunteers helped to collect 150.88 tons of trash along approximately 160 miles of beaches. For
more information contact the Texas Adopt-a-Beach Program at the GLO (1700 North Congress Avenue, Austin TX 78701
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Unfortunately, recreational users of Texas beaches encounter literally
hundreds of thousands of pounds of trash. This trash is generated by both beach goers and by ships that have dumped garbage at sea that
has washed upon the beaches. Over the years, the amount of offshore garbage found on Texas beaches has decreased, while beach goers'
litter has increased.The cleanup and maintenance of Texas beaches is the responsibility of coastal local governments. It is the responsibility of
the county governments to maintain the public beaches located inside the county but outside the boundaries of any incorporated city. Coastal
local governments spend annually approximately $5.5 million for beach cleanup activities
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1996 International Coastal Cleanup:
Texas's Percent Composition of Debris
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The "Plastic" and "Foamed Plastic" categories are combined. The chart includes all
debris reported, minus cigarette butts, which are so numerous their inclusion would distort data
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Source: Texas General Land Office, Adopt-a-Beach Program (1997)
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Nueces County, Port Aransas, Galveston Island, and South Padre spend most of this amount.* Revenue sources for cleanup activities include the hotel occupancy tax, the local sales tax , and, in some
communities, car parking fees. The amount of revenue available for these activities, therefore, varies from community to community.
Ocean Trash
The international Marine Pollution Treaty regulates marine pollution around the world. The treaty contains
five "annexes" (sections), each of which regulates a different type of pollution. Annex V prohibits the dumping of plastics in the world's oceans. The
International Maritime Organization has designated the Wider Caribbean Region (which includes the Gulf of Mexico) as a "special area," where dumping from ships
except for food scraps is prohibited. Eighteen countries have agreed to the designation, including the United States and Mexico.
This "special area" designation was to go into effect in April 1993; however, enforcement of the "special area" rules
cannot begin until there are adequate garbage-reception facilities at each port. Ports in the United States do have
adequate garbage facilities, but most ports in the Caribbean countries do not.*
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