Coastal Blog
January 08 2013
Are You A Bag Hero?
The Surfrider Foundation Coastal Bend (TX) Chapter has developed a great program to highlight community members who are using reusable bags. The Bag Hero program demonstrates how easy it is to bring your own bags and why it’s important. Each month they recognize an exceptional community member who has chosen…
January 02 2013
New Year Rings In With Plastic Reductions!
Rise Above Plastics Bag Bans Expanded Polystyrene Foam
2012 saw an increased groundswell of local actions across the county aimed at reducing plastic litter and some of the ordinances took effect on January 1st. Corvallis, OR; Alameda County, CA; Laguna Beach, CA and Barrington, RI all have banned single-use plastic checkout bags at grocery stores. In San Marcos,…
December 23 2012
Expansion Proposed for Marine Sanctuaries off Northern California
Ocean Ecosystems Marine Protected Areas
The Obama Administration is planning to expand the Gulf of Farollones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries to protect the northern California coast from offshore drilling. Public comments on the proposal will be accepted by NOAA until March 1, 2013
December 21 2012
Federal Marine Debris Legislation Signed by the President
Legal Rise Above Plastics Tsunami Debris
President Barack Obama signed the Marine Debris Act Amendments (Farr - H.R. 1171) into law on December 20, 2012 as part of the Coast Guard Maritime Transportation Act (H.R. 2838). The Marine Debris Act Amendments reauthroizes and amends the Marine Debris Research, Prevention, and Reduction Act to create a marine…
December 20 2012
California’s Marine Protected Areas in Full Swing
Ocean Ecosystems Marine Protected Areas
Have you ever heard the saying, “so goes California so goes the Nation”? Well, ocean advocates across the nation are hoping these words ring true when it comes to protecting important ocean resources. The State of California now officially owns a complete network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). These MPAs…
December 18 2012
More Plastic Bag Reduction Efforts
Last week we covered the groundswell of plastic bag ordinances sweeping through California and this week we are happy to report another international bag ban while legislators on the East Coast are looking to place statewide fees on carryout bags. Both houses of the Swiss Parliament voted to forbid the…
December 17 2012
Surfrider Foundation Supports Los Angeles County Bag Ban in Court
Legal Rise Above Plastics Bag Bans
Surfrider Foundation, by and through our Los Angeles County Chapters and along with a coalition of environmental groups, filed an amicus or “friend of the court” brief in support of Los Angeles County in Schmeer v. Los Angeles County. In this case, the County of Los Angeles is being used…
December 17 2012
Hijacking our Beaches for Sandy Relief
Coastal Preservation Beach Dredge & Fill
President Obama and Congress are rightfully moving to provide federal assistance for those impacted by Hurricane (Superstorm) Sandy. Unfortunately in their zeal for action the Senate is proposing to go far and beyond what is needed for disaster recovery, threatening the future health and vitality of our coastal beaches and…
December 14 2012
Plastic Bag Reduction Week in California!
This week saw three cities in California move forward with different stages of a plastic checkout bag ban for grocers and retail food stores. After state legislators failed to pass AB 298 this year, the statewide bag ban, it is imperative for cities, towns and counties to continue the groundswell…
December 12 2012
Beachfills, Dunes, and Seawalls Oh My!
Coastal Preservation Beach Dredge & Fill Shoreline Armoring
We don't really like seawalls at Surfrider Foundation, I know. But to put a large structure on the ocean side of a seawall, now that's just a lose, lose proposition. Exhibit A from Sea Bright, NJ.
December 11 2012
The Toilet Bowl Effect: Gurgles and Flushes from Pico-Kenter Storm Drain
Blue Water Task Force Youth Rise Above Plastics Water Quality
Students at Santa Monica High School measured high bacteria levels and picked up more than 75 lbs of trash flushed through the Pico-Kenter storm drain by rain events in November. Read the press release they sent out documenting this pollution.
December 10 2012
BWTF data detects sewer overflows at beaches in Newport, Oregon
Blue Water Task Force Partnerships Source Identification Water Quality
Very high bacteria levels detected by the Newport Chapter's BWTF water testing program indicated an ongoing problem with sewer overflows in the area during wet weather. The beaches were posted in the short-term, but the Chapter has been working with the city for nearly 10 years now to address multiple…
December 10 2012
New Controls on Nutrient Pollution in Florida
After years of court battles and lively debate between multiple stakeholders, the USEPA has finally decided to impose numeric water quality standards in the State of Florida to better control nutrient pollution. Algal blooms fueled by excess nutrients have been wreaking havoc on inland and coastal ecosystems alike and have…
December 06 2012
Tell the Feds to Cancel Seismic Surveys in the Atlantic!
The Department of Interior is deciding whether to conduct seismic surveys in the Mid- and South Atlantic to map oil and gas resources. These surveys would cause devastating impacts to marine life and set the stage for new offshore drilling. Please sign the petition to ask the Department to cancel…
December 06 2012
Membership Special and Beach Trash Ornament Contest
Surfrider Foundation is currently running a great Holiday Gift Membership package and there’s just one week left to order to make sure it’s delivered before Christmas. It’s a great package for you or a loved one to show your support for clean water and beaches all year long. Also, Surfrider…
December 02 2012
EPA updates recreational water quality criteria
Blue Water Task Force Water Quality Illness
The EPA has released its 2012 water quality criteria recommendations for protecting human health in all coastal and non-coastal recreational waters.
December 01 2012
Sewage still a problem post-Sandy
The New York Times reported this week that since Superstorm Sandy hit a month ago, hundreds of millions of gallons of raw and partly raw sewage from crippled treatment plants have flowed into waterways in New York and New Jersey, exposing flaws in the region’s wastewater infrastructure that will take…
November 30 2012
Buffalo Exchange Goes Bagless!
Buffalo Exchange has officially gone “bag-less”. The company plans to discontinue all orders of disposable plastic bags for its 47 stores nation-wide. This keeps a good deal of plastic out of landfills and prompts customers to remember an earth-friendly alternative for the trip home. The company’s change in policy is…
November 29 2012
Plastic Pollution Makes National News
Rise Above Plastics Tsunami Debris
Last night NBC News featured a story triggered by tsunami debris that put the spotlight on plastic pollution in the Pacific Ocean. While it's great to see more attention to the issue of plastic pollution, the story fell short of offering some solutions. Tsunami debris is a relative drop in…
November 26 2012
Plastic Beach Project - Understanding Plastic Pollution at 15 Beaches in the SF Bay Area
Surfrider Foundation San Francisco Chapter activists developed a method to document trash collected during Surfrider’s local beach cleanups and conduct scientific research to systematically compare plastic pollution on 15 local beaches. The purpose of the project was to document the quantity and type of beach litter on local beaches to…
