SACRAMENTO Sep. 10, 2008 - Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi has launched the "Clean Seas Coalition," a growing group of environmentalists, scientists, California lawmakers, students and community waterway watchdogs & activists pushing California to strengthen laws reducing trash in California's seas and on beaches. Garamendi formed the "Clean Seas Coalition" to make the Ocean Protection Council's pollution reduction recommendations a reality. There will be a timeline for legislation and major outreach into communities throughout California.
"The goal of the Clean Seas Coalition is to unify everyone and keep pushing legislation forward based on the Ocean Protection Council's Marine Debris report." Garamendi said. "The recommendations we need to enforce extended "take back" programs for packaging waste, bans on certain types of litter such as plastic bags and polystyrene and fees. We need to keep consistently chipping away in these areas. When we succeed California will lead the western continental coast by example and protect our oceans, our health and our economy."
The Clean Seas Coalition's growing membership includes the Sierra Club, Surfrider, Environment California, Californians Against Waste, Heal the Bay, California Coastkeeper Alliance, Ocean Conservancy, Urban Semillas, Anahuak, Santa Monica Baykeeper, Algalita Marine Research Foundation, Senator Joe Simitian, Assemblymembers Julia Brownley, Paul Krekorian and others.
"Talk is cheap when it comes to many environmental issues but I fully expect the Clean Seas Coalition to put some real teeth into legislation that will protect all Californians from ocean litter," Bill Magavern, director of Sierra Club California said. "Local governments and public interest groups are really coming together to push for action at the state level. Now is the time to act."
The Urban Semillas and Anahuak Youth Sports Association, two organizations that work with inland communities, applaud the Lieutenant Governor for forming the Clean Seas Coalition.
"Because marine debris starts as urban blight in our inland communities, we feel we have the opportunity to make a positive change towards a cleaner sea by providing education and modifying behavior at the headwaters of the problem," Miguel Luna, Urban Semillas, executive director said.
California lawmakers and environmentalists plan to work in tandem to toughen and upgrade pollution laws.
"I am really excited to be a member of the Clean Seas Coalition. The coalition offers an excellent opportunity for a diverse group of organizations to engage and debate on the critical issues surrounding marine debris. I look forward to working with the coalition in an effort to successfully ban plastic bags, PVC packaging and other marine debris issues in the next legislative year," Assemblymember Julia Brownley (D-Santa Monica) said.
"Styrofoam and plastic bags plague our beaches and inland creeks," Heal the Bay representatives said. "This coalition is an important step to help end the scourge of marine debris through breaking our addiction to single use plastic packaging."
"If there was a reality show featuring 'the trash reality' in the ocean, it would have to run on cable because the death and gore suffered by marine animals would be too much for network television," Tom Ford, executive director of Santa Monica Baykeeper said. "The work the Clean Seas Coalition is doing is vital to the health of our oceans. We can't leave the ocean holding the bag."
Garamendi, a former deputy Interior Secretary in the Clinton Administration, asked for the Marine Debris report as chairman of the state Lands Commission and then member of the Ocean Protection Council.
The Clean Seas Coalition will participate in Coastal Clean-Up on September 20 in Santa Monica with a press conference on upcoming plans and legislation. Specifics on the event will be sent out next week.
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