Wednesday, January 25, 2017

ZERO EFFORT, The Sequel...

Dateline: Wednesday morning, January 24, 2016 along the shoreline from the Santa Monica Pier to Bay St. and back.....

A great deal of uncollected #beachtrash was observed as usual due to the City of Santa Monica not using its resources to hand pick up the #beachtrash along the water's edge in spite of the City's previous statement that it does so.  This is a continuing threat to public health and safety that the City continues to ignore.  This is a State Beach, after all, that the City is responsible for maintaining.  We wonder if the State of California is aware that the City is not, in fact, collecting and/or disposing of the abundant #beachtrash along the water's edge?...

In any case, here are the beyond numerous examples of the abhorrent level of #beachtrash along our otherwise beautiful shoreline... including both photos and videos.

We begin with a photo that shows the useless tractor and raking that the City continues to emphasize away from the water's edge where there is little to no #beachtrash... Sure looks nice, though....  On the other hand, the tractor towing a rake routine is symptomatic of the ostrich like approach the City continues to take with respect to its clearly dysfunctional efforts with respect to the collection and/or disposal of #beachtrash.  The City, in other words, continues to devote substantial resources to making the sand look nice but does little to nothing about the #beachtrash along the water's edge.  You have to see it to believe it but this has been going on for years. Unfortunately, the level of #beachtrash along the water's edge is not only ignored but it has increased.


So now we get down to the nitty gritty of the grungy appearance by the water's edge where the City devotes little to no resources with respect to the collection and/or disposal of #beachtrash...











It's not as if this #beachtrash is hiding!  It's RIGHT OUT THERE IN PLAIN SIGHT and the City still does not dispose of it!...  This is tantamount to dereliction of duty.




















We pause a moment to reflect on the beauty of the ocean in spite of all of the #beachtrash littering the water's edge.....










And now we arrive at the infamous Pico-Kenter Storm Drain..... with the luxury hotels, CASA DEL MAR and SHUTTERS in the background.....




Not just disgusting, but this trapped water and debris has certainly got to represent suspect hazardous waste.







And yet still just look at this gorgeous beach at the mouth of the Pico-Kenter Storm Drain. Stunning!  The City should be making every effort to clean up the substantial #beachtrash along the water's edge as it is certainly the City's obligation to do.  And yet, the City does not do so as these multiple photos and videos illustrate.


This photo below is unlikely to be used by CASA DEL MAR or SHUTTERS to attract business.....














*** Video Alert ! ***

#Beachtrash And the Snowy Plover: Video #1

     https://youtu.be/el_L-Ky9zYU

comment:  Besides the fact that all of this #beachtrash is unsightly and represents a public health and safety risk, there is the separate issue of the continuing threat to wildlife, including seagulls, crows, pigeons and the endangered snowy plover which is observed in the video below feeding in the area of the Pico-Kenter storm drain outfall along the shoreline.  This is at least partially how #beachtrash, including plastic debris, is consumed by wildlife.  The failure to clean up and/or dispose of #beachtrash by the City of Santa Monica contributes to this threat to wildlife.

 Below, notice the crow and pigeons picking for what they think is food amongst the #beachtrash.....



























 *** Video Alert ! ***

#Beachtrash and the Snowy Plover: Video #2

     https://youtu.be/-qq6xhjW30g






It is the responsibility of the City of Santa Monica to maintain the State Beach within the city limits of Santa Monica, an area said to be approximately 3 miles in length running both north and south of the Santa Monica Pier.  Indeed, the State of California relies on the City of Santa Monica to do so just as it does for the state beaches that are maintained separately by the L.A. County Dept. of Beaches & Harbors.  So why is it that the LADBH maintained beaches regularly are cleaned of #beachtrash along the water's edge but this is not done in Santa Monica, in spite of assurances to the contrary by a City of Santa Monica spokesperson.  Why the ambiguity?  What happened to transparency?  Why not admit that the City does not collect and/or dispose of #beachtrash along the water's edge on either a regular or daily basis?   Why the misrepresentation?  Why the failure to do what it is obligated to do by virtue of its contract with the State of California to maintain the beach and to do its best to remove threats to public health, safety and welfare?

The continuing failure to collect and/or dispose of #beachtrash along the water's edge represents an ongoing liability risk for the City of Santa Monica and, more importantly, represents an ongoing threat to public health, safety and welfare.

Respectfully submitted,

William Maguire,
Santa Monica business owner

(All photos and videos by & Copyright William Maguire 2017.)

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