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Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation Beach Sweep
presented by Toyota.
The Annual Louisiana Beach Sweep and Inland Waterway Cleanup was held the third Saturday in September in conjunction with the International Coastal Cleanup sponsored by the Ocean Conservancy (www.coastalcleanup.org). This year the date was September 15, 2007, and was presented by Toyota (www.buyatoyota.com).
Louisiana’s Department of Environmental Quality has designates the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation as zone coordinator for the areas surrounding Lake Pontchartrain. Areas are designated for cleanup; in Orleans and Jefferson Parishes, in St. Tammany Parish, St. Tammany Parish, and in St. Bernard Parish.
This event is a wonderful opportunity to help in the rebuilding process of our beloved city, New Orleans. Traditionally, groups volunteer and they send a zone captain to a meeting in late August where we give out the zone to be covered, trash bags, and data sheets to record trash that has been picked up. The group brings rakes, gloves, etc and handles any refreshments they bring out to their zone. The clean up lasts from 9-12noon and is followed by a picnic for all participants.
Contact JoAnn at 504-836-2238 or email at joann@saveourlake.org
2007 Sponsors
Presenting Sponsor
Toyota |
Picnic Sponsor
Outback Steak House |
Major Sponsors
Entergy
HSBC |
Contributing Sponsor
National Wildlife Federation
SDT Waste and Debris Services |
Supporting Picnic Sponsors
Kentwood Spring Water
Krispy Kreme
Orleans Parish Criminal Sheriff’s Office
River Parish Disposal
University of New Orleans
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Beach Sweep Sponsors
Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge
Big Branch National Wildlife Refuge
Dept. of New Orleans Sanitation
Friends of La. Wildlife Refuges, Inc.
Keep Mandeville Beautiful
Keep St. John Parish Beautiful
Mandeville Public Works
Orleans Levee District
St. Tammany Parish Litter Abatement
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| Beach Sweep 2007 Volunteer |
New Orleans Power Squadron
DynMcDermott/SPR
MaryAnne Livacari
Entergy
Chapelle High School
Archbishop Shaw High School
Metairie Park Country Day School
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Mount Carmel Academy
Tidewater, Inc.
U.S. Coast Guard (2 groups)
McMoRan
Shell Oil
UNO Green Club
MER LSU
AWCC
Brother Martin High School
McGehee Girls' School
CubScout Pack 27
Uptown Triangle Neighborhood Assn.
Tulane Green Club
National Wildlife Federation
Lockheed Martin
Cindy LoCicero
Girlscout Troop 143 Cadettes
St. Edward the Confessor Girlscout Troop 928
Whitney Heights Garden Club |
St. Angela Merici Girl Scout Troop 671
Mineral Management Service
E.J. Environmental Dept.
PBS&J
Cubscout Pack 496
St. Martin Episcopal School
John Curtis Christian High School
Girlscout Troop 1103
Boyscout Troop 227
St. Christopher Girlscout Troop 812
St. Christopher Boyscout Troop 117
St. Christopher Cubscout Pack 117
St. Agnes Brownie Troop 263
Harry Hurst Middle School
St Catherine Cadette Troop 451
Bayou Haystackers
Girlscout Troop 243
Girlscout Cadettes 1410
Bonnabel High School Key Club
UNO-Society for Conservation Biology
St John Parish Business Association
LaPlace Rotary Club
Keeping St. John Beautiful
East St John High School
Benjamin Franklin High School Green Society
Boy Scout Troop 227
Air Products and Chemicals
E
nlighten Me Designs
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Marine Litter Statistics
from the Ocean Conservancy
Litter is a severe problem on the south shore of Lake Pontchartrain. We need to stop this problem by being thoughtful with our trash and by picking up any trash we see. Pontchartrain will appreciate it and we will too.
Marine and shoreline litter can come from anywhere and be blown in by wind or travel by rivers, streams, storm drains and marine currents. Litter can originate from recreational and commercial activities on or near the water such as fishing, picnicking, boating and commercial shipping, oil and gas rigs, cruise ships, and construction. These activities and many others cause our waterways to become unsightly and pose a risk to human and animal health.
Top Ten litter items world wide
1. cigarettes/cigarette filters
2. bags
3. caps, lids
4. food containers/wrappers
5. cups, plates, forks, knives, spoons
6. plastic beverage bottles (2 liters or less)
7. glass beverage bottles
8. straws, stirrers
9. beverage cans
10. rope
Decomposition Rates
| Glass Bottle |
1,000,000 years |
| Monofolament fishing line |
600 years |
| Plastic beverage bottles |
450 year |
| Disposable diapers |
450 years |
| Aluminum can |
80-200 year |
| Foamed plastic buoy |
80 years |
| Rubber boat sole |
50-80 years |
| Foamed plastic cup |
50 years |
| Tin can |
50 years |
| Leather |
50 years |
| Nylon Fabric |
30-40 years |
| Plastic film canister |
20-30 years |
| Plastic Bag |
10-20 years |
| Cigarette filter |
1-50years |
| Wool sock |
1-5 years |
| Plywood |
1-3 years |
| Waxed milk carton |
3 months |
| Apple core |
2 months |
| Newspaper |
6 weeks |
| Orange or banana peel |
2-5 weeks |
| Paper towel |
2-4 weeks |
From: "Pocket Guide to Marine Debris," The Ocean Conservancy, 2004.
Sources: U.S National Park Service; Mote Marine Lab, FL and "Garbage In, Gabage Out," Audobon Magazine, Spt/Oct 1998 |
