Dateline: Tuesday morning, March 7, 2017, just after 9 a.m. along the shoreline north of the Santa Monica Pier. I began this morning's #beachtrash audit at Sorrento Beach (aka, Lifeguard Tower #8), which is approximately 1 mile north of the Santa Monica Pier. From there I walked to the pier and back noting the exorbitant amount of plant debris and #beachtrash near the water's edge that has not as yet been collected and/or disposed of by the City of Santa Monica.
Here are the photos and videos of this morning's #beachtrash audit north of the Santa Monica Pier
that remains uncollected and not disposed of by the City of Santa Monica:
Below are a series of photos which show that the heavy equipment used by the City of Santa Monica is, in fact, being used to rake the sand near the water's edge and in the area where the City has stated that it does not run its heavy equipment because of living organisms in the sand near the water's edge. This is again evidence that the City is not consistent with respect to this policy. In my opinion, it is used as an excuse by the City to not clean up the #beachtrash near the water's edge when it is convenient for them to say so. What is also true is that all of this plant debris and #beachtrash shown today in our photos indicates that the City has not had anyone walk near the water's edge and hand pick up any #beachtrash.
x-ref: Santa Monica Mirror, August 19, 2017:
http://smmirror.com/2016/08/trash-talk-dumpers-take-joy-out-of-beach-days-2/
Excerpt:
“We have tractors that are out there daily lining up the trash before another machine comes to collect and dump the trash off site,” Constance Farrell, Public Information Coordinator for Santa Monica City told The Mirror. “We also have a small but mighty team of City employees who work on the beach seven days a week. Community service crews also help keep the beach clean.” (emphasis added.)
Why then the trash lining the shore?
“We can only go to the high tide line with the large equipment that picks up the bulk of trash on the beach,” Farrell explained. “State law restricts equipment near the water line to protect microorganisms..."
Comment: Based on my personal observations over many, many months, the City's small but mighty team does not, in fact, either daily or regularly walk near the water's edge and hand pick up trash. Therefore, the statement above by the City spokesperson was a misrepresentation, though probably in her defense, a misrepresentation communicated to her which she then repeated without any personal knowledge of her own to the contrary.
So much for the living microorganisms... Note the deep tread marks in the sand below the berm and near the water's edge that the City has communicated that they are not supposed to run their equipment due to state law...
Below, you can clearly see that the City has operated a tractor pulling a rake below the berm and right up near the water's edge, an area where the City has said that it does not operate its heavy equipment out of concern for living organisms in the sand. In any case, this area near the water's edge has not been hand picked of #beachtrash by the City of Santa Monica.
Above and below, arriving at Lifeguard Tower #15, just north of the Santa Monica Pier, I observe a group of elementary school aged children with their adult teachers walking the sand and hand picking up #beachtrash. Once again it is civilian volunteers that are hand picking up #beachtrash along the shoreline in Santa Monica. Child Labor, albeit, elementary school children volunteers, are able to hand pick up #beachtrash but the City of Santa Monica, which has the resources to do the same, does not do so...
Below, school children (aka, child labor) volunteers hand picking up #beachtrash near the water's edge in Santa Monica...
For the Record: I am all for volunteers and organizations like HEAL THE BAY contributing to beach trash cleanup. Indeed, teaching kids good citizenship is wonderful. What I do not care for is the City of Santa Monica continuing to avoid its primary responsibility and obligation to regularly clean up the #beachtrash that accumulates near the water's edge.
Below, the world famous Santa Monica Pier...
Above and below, #beachtrash below the world famous Santa Monica Pier that remains on the sand because the City does not use the resources that it has to hand pick it up and dispose of it!...
Below, another shot of the children hand picking up #beachtrash at the beach!...
*** Video Alert ! ***
Children Cleaning Up #Beachtrash in Santa Monica: The Video
https://youtu.be/_i9StlBklHk
Below, a great deal of plant debris from the recent storms remains on the beach uncollected and/or otherwise disposed of by the City of Santa Monica. When is the City going to use the resources that it has to pick this up and dispose of it?!...
*** Video Alert ! ***
Plant Debris & #BeachTrash: The Video
https://youtu.be/uGUQZ0l_TcA
In the photo below, a City tractor dragging a rake is observed operating below the high tide line, below the berm and near the water's edge, in spite of state law to the contrary as cited by the City spokesperson referenced above in the excepted remarks from August 19, 2016, as published in the Santa Monica Mirror.
*** Video Alert ! ***
City Tractor Operating Below The Berm: The Video
https://youtu.be/XgFPqRu_6wQ
Below, a dead bird remains on the sand near the water's edge... Why? Simple! Because the City does not actually assign anyone to walk near the water's edge to pick up #beachtrash and dead birds.
How long will it remain here?!...
Our goal remains to get the City to actually do what it is supposed to do, e.g., have its staff that is on the beach seven (7) days a week regularly walk near the water's edge and hand pick up the #beachtrash.
Respectfully submitted,
William Maguire,
Santa Monica business owner
(All photos by & Copyright William Maguire 2017.)
*** *** ***
No comments:
Post a Comment