Saturday, April 8, 2017: Santa Monica State Beach Trash Report

Question: Why does the State of California (Calif. State Parks) apparently tolerate the terrible job that the City of Santa Monica does with respect to the #beachtrash near the water's edge on this otherwise beautiful and majestic State Beach?!...  Why does Calif. State Parks allow the City to basically ignore its obligation to maintain this State Beach by hand picking up the #beachtrash near the water's edge on a regular basis?  Dead birds, glass bottles, plastic bottles, paper products, broken plastic toys, used and soiled diapers.  All of this #beachtrash represents a significant public health and safety risk to the beach going public.  Why then does the State of California allow this travesty to continue?!...

In any case, on Saturday, April 8, 2017, at approx. 1:15 pm I walked from the Santa Monica Pier to Ocean Park and took photos of the extensive #beachtrash near the water's edge. I noticed many pieces of #beachtrash that I saw the previous day, thus proving that there has been no effort by the City of Santa Monica to pick up #beachtrash on either Friday or Saturday.  Meanwhile, the City of Santa Monica is able to collect parking fees at the beach lots seven days a week...

Day 3 now for this used and soiled diaper next to the Santa Monica Pier.  Nice, huh?!...

Another angle on the smelly used diaper right next to where people are sitting near the water's edge.
Hey let's go to the beach, we can take the train and walk down to the pier and then down to the sand... Is that a used and soiled diaper?!...  The City's social media postings didn't mention that!?!...
 

Below, this round plastic container is also in its 3rd day here near the water's edge...

Below, this discarded bathing suit and aluminum can were here near the water's edge when we photographed them in our Friday post on this blog.

Broken glass from a bottle, below, that I disposed of since I do not trust that the City will do so.

Below, additional broken glass from a bottle that I collected and disposed in a nearby trash can because I do not trust that the City will do it before someone steps on it and gets hurt...

Below, a wind torn and abandoned sun shelter near the water's edge.  I wonder how long this will remain on the beach. Later in the day today I noticed that the wind had picked it up and it was upside down on the sand.

*** Video Alert ! ***

Saturday Santa Monica State Beach Trash: The Video

     https://youtu.be/W8Mw-BiI1qw

Below is the storm debris that I dragged out of the ocean on Thursday, April 6th and its still here on the beach along with the discarded red inhaler and a mylar balloon that I saw here as well yesterday.

More broken glass near the water's edge, below...

Above and below, a dead bird near the water's edge that is right next to where people are sitting on the beach. Disgusting and a public health hazard that the City could easily remove but has not done so because no one from the City of Santa Monica is apparently inspecting and hand picking up #beachtrash near the water's edge, not even on a Saturday!

Lastly, this discarded pillow has been here for at least a week out in front of Lifeguard Tower #29 near the water's edge. I propped it up last week and still no one bothered to dispose of it. It is now soaked with water from the high tide.  How much longer will it remain on the beach?

 

At some point I am hopeful that the City of Santa Monica will take responsibility for the #beachtrash near the water's edge and that it will be collected on multiple days per week so that the beach going public can enjoy the shoreline without having to worry about stepping on said #beachtrash and getting injured.

Respectfully submitted,

William Maguire,

Santa Monica business owner

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

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