Cellucci Launches Statewide Beach Cleanup

September 14, 1998
Contact: Anne Donovan
(617) 727-9530, x411

Governor Paul Cellucci today announced the kick off for the annual statewide beach cleanup. The COASTSWEEP 1998 kickoff will take place at 10 a.m. on Saturday, September 19 at Revere Beach; almost 100 additional beach cleanups are scheduled for September and October. Thousands of volunteers are expected to turn out to remove trash from the hundreds of miles of Massachusetts coastline, making beaches cleaner and safer for families across the Commonwealth.

"We rely on dedicated and committed volunteers to help improve the quality of life for the citizens of the Commonwealth who frequent these beaches," said Cellucci. "Their important contributions help us ensure a clean environment for every family in our state."

COASTSWEEP relies primarily on volunteers for its success. Each cleanup is organized by a local coordinator who spends hours gathering supplies, publicizing the event, and ensuring that the cleanup occurs without a hitch. The thousands of people who participate each year also do their part by collecting bag after bag of trash and debris. This year, WBOS Radio 92.9 will play live music at the Revere Beach kickoff, and BankBoston will provide t-shirts and BritaTM Products Company will give each cleanup volunteer a coupon for a free Water Filtration Pitcher.

"Without the leadership demonstrated by these dedicated local coordinators, COASTSWEEP would be impossible," said Trudy Coxe, Secretary of the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs. "It is wonderful to see such hard working and committed environmental volunteers."

"Marine debris is more than an eyesore," said MCZM Director Peg Brady. "Animals can be killed or injured when they become entangled in pieces of marine debris, such as fishing line and six-pack holders, or when they swallow plastic bags, balloons, and other items that they mistake for food. People are injured when they step on broken glass or rusty metal on the beach or in the water. COASTSWEEP, therefore, makes Massachusetts beaches both safer and more beautiful."
COASTSWEEP is also part of an International Beach Cleanup Program sponsored by the Center for Marine Conservation (CMC) in Washington, DC. Thirty-four U.S. states and territories and more than 30 nations participate worldwide. The data collected during the cleanups are sent CMC and entered into a massive marine debris data base. This information is used to identify the sources of marine debris to help prevent the problem in the future.

This year, COASTSWEEP is also part of an international effort to clean up the Gulf of Maine, which extends from Nantucket to Cape Sable, Nova Scotia. This Gulf-wide cleanup is sponsored by the Gulf of Maine Council on the marine environment. Data from Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia will be analyzed to identify major sources of trash and other marine debris in the Gulf of Maine.

COASTSWEEP sponsors are critical to the effort's success. Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management, along with organizing the statewide effort, provides COASTSWEEP posters, flyers, and buttons. For the third year, BankBoston is a major COASTSWEEP sponsor, providing posters to advertise COASTSWEEP as well as 2,000 t-shirts for cleanups of Boston-area beaches. BankBoston employees are also expected to help with cleanups throughout the state. The MBTA donated 200 spaces for COASTSWEEP posters on the T. BritaTM Products Company is also on board this year as a major sponsor of the International Coastal Cleanup Day. Each cleanup volunteer will receive a coupon for a free BritaTM Water Filtration Pitcher and Brita is providing promotional support for the event. WBOS 92.9 FM provides publicity support and will be playing live music at the COASTSWEEP kickoff at Revere Beach. Quest Diagnostics and Tronex Healthcare Industries provided several thousand gloves for COASTSWEEP volunteers this year. The Urban Harbors Institute of the University of Massachusetts/Boston helps to publicize the cleanups as part of the overall Coastweeks effort. The New England Aquarium and the Museum of Fine Arts-Boston donated free passes for prizes. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Management and the Metropolitan District Committee also help coordinate cleanups at their beaches. Finally, the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs and the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration help to fund the effort.

COASTSWEEP FACTSHEET

Background: COASTSWEEP is the state-wide beach cleanup organized by Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management (MCZM). For the 11th year in a row, cleanups will be held throughout September and October. COASTSWEEP is part of the International Coastal Cleanup in which volunteers collect trash and other marine debris and record data on what they find. These data are used to identify sources of marine debris to help solve the problem in the future.

COASTSWEEP's Success in Massachusetts: Every year COASTSWEEP grows as more and more people find out about the event and commit their time to keeping our beaches clean. Last year was the biggest COASTSWEEP ever, with nearly 5,000 volunteers clearing over 64,000 pounds of trash and marine debris from our beaches.

100 Cleanups Statewide: COASTSWEEP cleanups are held throughout September and October all up and down the Commonwealth's coast. A complete cleanup list, including almost 100 individual cleanups, is attached.

COASTSWEEP Kickoff: September 19 is the official International Coastal Cleanup day. To highlight this campaign in Massachusetts, a kickoff cleanup will be held at 10:00 am at Revere Beach on that Saturday. Hundreds of volunteers are expected and dedicated COASTSWEEP sponsors will help make the kickoff a success. WBOS-92.9 FM will be broadcasting live from the event, and will provide amplified music. BritaTM Water Filtration Systems is providing extensive press support and will give all cleanup volunteers a coupon for a free BritaTM Water Filtration Pitcher. BankBoston will also provide free t-shirts for volunteers. And, of course, the Metropolitan District Commission will serve as our gracious host.

Sponsors: COASTSWEEP corporate and government sponsors help to make this event a reality. Along with MCZM, these sponsors are: BankBoston, BritaTM Water Filtration Systems, the MBTA, WBOS-92.9 FM, the Center for Marine Conservation, the Urban Harbors Institute/University of Massachusetts Boston, Quest Diagnostics, Tronex Health Care Industries, the New England Aquarium, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, the Metropolitan District Commission, the Department of Environmental Management, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.