SEA ISLE CITY BEACH CLEAN-UP REPORT OCTOBER 13, 2018

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1 SEA ISLE CITY BEACH CLEAN-UP REPORT OCTOBER 13, 2018 Members of the Sea Isle City Environmental Commission and other volunteers are shown at the Beach Clean-Up on October 13 Prepared by Maria Andrews Sea Isle City Environmental Commission

2 Acknowledgments The Sea Isle City Environmental Commission is immensely grateful to the many volunteers who participated in the Sea Isle City Beach Clean-Up on October 13, We extend a warm thank you to the following groups and city departments who also participated in the Beach Clean-Up: Sea Isle City Police Department Sea Isle City Public Works Department Coca Cola Bottling Company We are grateful to all of the donations that we received from the following Sea Isle City vendors and families: Post-sweeps free lunch for volunteers provided by Mike s Seafood T-shirts donated by Approach Apparel Bottled water donated by the Weiler Family Ice-cream cones donated by Spinners Pizza and Ice Cream Parlor Discount coupons for scooter rentals donated by Sea Isle Scooters We would like to acknowledge Katherine Custer from Sea Isle City Public Relations who provided all the photos and captions attached to this report. We thank Clean Ocean Action for including the data collected from Sea Isle City in their state wide report. Lastly, I would like to thank all my fellow Sea Isle City Environmental Commission members led by our President Annette Lombardo for their participation and organization of this successful Beach Clean-Up event. Maria Andrews SIC Environmental Commission

BEACH CLEAN-UP SUMMARY October 13, 2018 The Sea Isle City Fall 2018 Beach Clean-Up took place on October 13. Here are some of the highlights: More than 180 volunteers showed up to clean our beaches.

3 BEACH CLEAN-UP SUMMARY October 13, 2018 The Sea Isle City Fall 2018 Beach Clean-Up took place on October 13. Here are some of the highlights: More than 180 volunteers showed up to clean our beaches. The weather was mostly cloudy and rainy with a temperature range from 51 F early in the morning to 57 F by noon and a gentle breeze with wind speed of 7 miles per hour. The crowd was composed of a variety of ages and from different locations. All volunteers were enthusiastic and eager to participate in the Beach Clean-up effort. They managed to collect 6,580 pieces of trash and debris. They turned in 72 data cards, the compilation of which was sent to Clean Ocean Action for inclusion in their state-wide totals. Number of items collected based on categories displayed below: CATEGORY NUMBER OF ITEMS COLLECTED PERCENTAGE % PLASTIC 5, GLASS BALLOONS& RUBBER METAL PAPER WOOD CLOTH TOTAL ITEMS COLLECTED PLASTIC GLASS BALLOONS& RUBBER METAL PAPER WOOD CLOTH

4 The most heavily reported categories: - Plastic Cigarette Filters: 1,124 - Plastic Food/Candy Wrappers: Plastic Bottles Caps/Lids: Foam Plastic (all forms): Plastic Bottles: Plastic Pieces: Straws/Stirrers Plastic Bags: Metal Bottle Caps: Metal Cans: 249 These ten categories account for 71% of the total items reported. According to the data shown above, plastic collected items were the most abundant among all of the categories collected. Within the plastic category, cigarette filters represented 26% of the total collected plastic items. Some of the more unusual items collected: Sprinkler head Insulation material Christmas lights Glass pipe Computer monitor Metal pipe Lacrosse stick Plastic dryer cover Building materials Jet ski floatation dock Plastic monkey Sprayed pesticides sign Wood pieces Fireworks canister Shot gun shells Written volunteer comments: Found a lot of Mylar balloons and string Beach was cleaner than expected Lots of balloon ribbons and plastic water bottles No place to put cigarette butts Most of trash found in or near dunes It was rewarding and fun! Balloons with strings wrapped up in seagrass brought in with tides Cleanest that it has ever been seen, we live here and do this all the time, fewest cigarettes Beach was actually pretty clean. Many items may be buried under the sand from the storm Construction sites should do a better job of cleaning up Planted bundles of dune grass Beach seemed relatively clean

5 Recommendations/Conclusion: Based on the data collected and the observations recorded by volunteers, cigarette filters remain a problematic item along the beach and on the dunes. Cigarette filters or butts are the most common form of litter found in our Sea Isle beaches. Cigarette butts are nonbiodegradable toxic plastics. Numerous scientific studies have found toxic heavy metals, such as arsenic, and toxic organic compounds, such as nicotine and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons released to the environment by cigarette butts litter. These chemicals can also leach out of the cigarette butt and pose acute toxic effects to aquatic organisms. New Jersey s governor signed into law a revision of the New Jersey Smoke-Free Air Act in July, 2018 banning smoking and vaping at public beaches and parks. The ban will take effect in January, This law will facilitate a decrease in the number of cigarette filters littered on the beach, dunes and their proximity and it will also provide a decrease in the toxic effects triggered by cigarette butts. Another items of concern repeatedly found on our beaches are store plastic bags, foam plastics and straws. They pose an environmental damage to the beach and specially to marine life. New Jersey is moving forward with a ban on plastic grocery store bags, Styrofoam food containers and plastic straws. To prevent and minimize any harmful effects to the beach environment and marine life, Sea Isle City officials and vendors could consider eco-friendly alternatives to replace the use of plastic store bags, Styrofoam food containers and straws. This initiative can be part of a collaboration from city officials, city vendors and other city stake holders. An awareness campaign is planned to be launched by the Sea Isle City Environmental Commission to promote strategies to reduce the single use of plastics.

Isle City s Fall Beach Clean-Up on October 13.

6 Photos of the Beach Clean-Up Members of the Sea Isle City Police Department and their families are shown during Sea Isle City s Fall Beach Clean-Up on October 13. Volunteers of all ages participated in Sea Isle City s annual Autumn Beach Clean-Up.

Volunteers did not need to pre-register to participate in Sea Isle City

7 Individuals, organizations, members of civic groups and families donated their time to help clean the beaches on October 13. Volunteers did not need to pre-register to participate in Sea Isle City s Beach Clean-Up they simply signed-in on the morning of the event and then got to work.

8 Anthony Edwardi from Mike s Seafood Restaurant (far left) is shown after the Beach Clean-Up with employees from Coca-Cola s Distribution Center in Marmora, NJ, as they entered the Volunteer s Luncheon provided by Mike s Seafood Restaurant. After helping clean trash and debris from the beach and dunes, Amy Basehoar from The Society of American Military Engineers Philadelphia Post and her daughter, Catherine, enjoyed a complimentary luncheon at Mike s Seafood Restaurant.

The complimentary buffet luncheon at Mike s Seafood delighted the many volunteers who

9 After the beaches were cleaned on October 13, Sea Isle City homeowners Madge and Ed Vogt (at left) enjoyed lunch at Mike s Seafood with their neighbors, Jerri and Alan Nesensohn. The complimentary buffet luncheon at Mike s Seafood delighted the many volunteers who participated in this year s Beach Clean-Up. Photos by Katherine Custer, Sea Isle City Public Relations

SEA ISLE CITY BEACH CLEAN-UP REPORT APRIL 21, 2018

SEA ISLE CITY BEACH CLEAN-UP REPORT APRIL 21, 2018 Prepared by Maria Andrews Sea Isle City Environmental Commission Acknowledgments The Sea Isle City Environmental Commission is immensely grateful to the