Pasco County is taking part in the annual International Coastal Cleanup and is encouraging citizens to participate.
Each year, Pasco County residents band together to pick up trash along fragile coastal waterways and in Pasco County streets.
The 2014 event will be held on Saturday, September 20th from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Each year, hundreds of thousands of volunteers from around the world spend a few hours removing trash and debris from beaches, lakes, and rivers and inland areas, while keeping track of every piece of trash they find. The Ocean Conservancy uses that information to produce an annual country-by-country, state-by-state index of the problem of marine debris.
Pasco County has been a part of International Coastal Cleanup for the past 22 years. In 2013, approximately 1,515 Pasco County volunteers collected more than 17.55 tons (35,100 pounds) of trash and debris from all around Pasco.
Several teams are registered to take part in the 2014 Coastal Cleanup, including: Gulf Kayaking Team, Strauber Memorial Highway, Holiday; City of Dade City; Cotee River, downtown New Port Richey; Gulf Harbor Fishing Club, New Port Richey; Hudson Beach; Lacoochee; Waterfront Park, New Port Richey; Sea Pines, Hudson; Signal Cove, Hudson; and Werner-Boyce State Park, Port Richey.
Citizens who would like to participate in the Coastal Cleanup can do so by signing up at the following website where they will be put in touch with a captain in the area of your choice: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/9-20-14-coastal-cleanup-2014-pasco-county-tickets-12255453391
For more information about the International Coastal Cleanup go the following link: http://www.oceanconservancy.org/our-work/international-coastal-cleanup
If you can't register online citizens can contact Pasco County Recycling at 727-856-4539.
Download the data collected during the 2013 Internal Coastal Cleanup at the following link: http://www.oceanconservancy.org/our-work/international-coastal-cleanup/2014-ocean-trash-index.html