DEQ Cleanup Brigade takes on the Lau Lau Bay

By John Dax Moreno
Special to the Saipan Tribune

The Division of Environmental Quality’s Cleanup Brigade had another successful turnout during their beach cleanup last Saturday at Lau Lau Bay. Scheduled on the first Saturday of every month, the Cleanup Brigade organizes volunteers to clean beaches around the CNMI. DEQ staff members select the locations, supply the volunteers with garbage bags, gloves, and cold drinking water, and collect and transport the garbage to the Lower Base Transfer Station. The decision to select Lau Lau Bay as a cleanup site stems from the current inter-agency focus on restoring and revitalizing this important watershed (for more information, see last week’s article on the Environmental Page).

Over 50 enthusiastic volunteers joined the event. They included individuals from various government agencies, the Kagman Elementary School’s My WAVE Club, AmeriCorps, the Korean Association, teachers, students, parents, the Northern Marianas Dive Operators Association, and even a few tourists who happened to be visiting the beach. The event began at 8am and was scheduled to run for two hours, but many volunteers stayed beyond the allotted time.

The picnic sites had a lot of trash, and the beach was littered with garbage and marine debris that had floated in from elsewhere. At the end of the event, about 580 lbs of trash had been collected! The trash consisted of paper and plastic products, glass bottles, drink cans, tires, rims, scrap metal, and even dead animal carcasses. It is a shame that there are people out there that litter and have no problem leaving their garbage at the beach. It is hard to imagine someone who enjoys the beach enough to brave the washed out roads of Lau Lau Bay Drive, but then at the end of the day just leaves the place full of trash, despite the “no littering” signs. It is inconsiderate and disrespectful to a historical place and to the community that shares it. This is an appeal to anyone who is reading this article. Ask yourself if you are contributing to CNMI’s litter and garbage problem. The truth is if you are not part of the solution, then you are a part of the problem. If you know that you are a litterbug, or an illegal dumper, you need to stop. If you are not, but you choose to ignore the problem, then you are guilty of condoning littering and illegal dumping by not acting against it.

So what can you do? Here are a few ways that you can get involved in curbing CNMI’s litter and garbage problems:

* Don’t litter, and don’t dump your garbage illegally.

* REDUCE the amount of garbage you produce, REUSE what you can, and RECYCLE. Separate glass, number 1 and 2 plastics, aluminum, paper, cardboard, and scrap metal for recycling at the Lower Base Transfer Station.

* If you bring something to the beach, take it back with you. Not all beaches have trash receptacles or trash pick-ups, so it is just good practice to be responsible for your own trash. Plus, you get a chance to separate the recyclable materials yourself rather than sending it all to be buried at the landfill.

* If you use cigarettes, use an ashtray and dispose your butts properly. Don’t just toss your butts out.

* If you use a flashlight for night fishing, snorkeling, or diving, take care to dispose of your batteries properly. Batteries are toxic to marine life, and they need to be taken to the Lower Base Transfer Station.

* Volunteer for cleanups. The DEQ Cleanup Brigade schedules one every first Saturday of the month. The next one is on March 5, 2005. Contact DEQ’s Glenn Arriola for more details at 664-8500.

* Report littering and illegal dumping to DEQ at 664-8500, or Coastal Resources Management at 664-8300.

* Urge your elected officials to take action against littering and illegal dumping.

Inform and involve your friends and family members, and work together to protect the environment.

DEQ’s Glen Arriola reminds the public that the next cleanup will be on March 5, 2005, location to be announced. DEQ gives away a Brigade t-shirt to volunteers who have participated in three cleanups, and those who complete 10 cleanups become members of the Gold Brigade and are awarded hats. “DEQ applauds everybody who participated this month,” Arriola said, “and we look forward to seeing more participants in the future.”

Note: As you may have read in yesterday’s Tribune, DEQ held a meeting to recruit volunteers for the interagency Watershed Watch. Besides beach cleanups, there are many other activities to assist in, including stream mapping and water quality monitoring. For more information, contact Fran Castro at 664-8500.