Citizens prepare to clean coast

The California Coastal Commission’s 21st annual California Coastal

Cleanup day will take place on Saturday, Sept. 17.

Laguna Beach is expected to draw more than 700 volunteers. Laguna

Beach organizer Roger von Butow said around two-thirds of the

volunteers will come from inland areas, where a considerable amount

of the trash originates.

This year, the Corona-Norco Unified School District is expected to

bring two busloads of students to walk the beaches and pick up trash.

Laguna is one of 700 statewide locations for the event, which will

take place from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. at six stations:

* Crescent Beach (North Laguna)

* Main Beach

* Oak Street

* Victoria Beach

* Montage/Treasure Island

As the designated beach captain, von Butow will lead local

activities, which will involve intensive trash eradication,

environmental education and an after-party.

Von Butow has been an environmental consultant for six years and

is the founder of Laguna-based Clean Water Now, an independent

organization devoted to protecting the coast.

Von Butow prepares for the event with the help of six station

leaders and 50 staff members.

All volunteers receive bags and gloves for protection from toxins,

as well as a certificate of participation that gives them free

parking in the city for the day.

OC Waste Management provides bins used to haul the trash away.

The group hopes to better last year’s removal of around 3,500

pounds of inorganic matter, of which 2,500 pounds was recyclable.

“What we pick up is what I like to call a ‘Polaroid of

pollution,’” said von Butow.

Vick Hillstead of the Laguna Beach Public Works department claims

the city collects at least a ton of litter from the coast each week.

The advantage of volunteer cleanup groups is their ability to get

into smaller crevices.

According to von Butow, the No. 1 piece of trash found is

cigarette butts. In second place: styrofoam packaging.

A critical component of Clean Water Now’s agenda is to get people

involved through education.

Literature is distributed by volunteers to inform the public about

sources of pollution.

Von Butow takes the attitude that it’s best to lead by example and

not confront people.

“Don’t hassle someone, do it yourself,” said von Butow. “If I see

someone litter I’ll go and pick it up myself. Hopefully that person

will acknowledge what he has done and think twice about it next

time.”

Overall environment quality is “slightly improved but has a long

way to go,” von Butow said. “I am humbled by fact I found something I

love. The best day of my life will be when the beaches are clean.”