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NEWS BRIEF: Andersen Air Force Base beach cleanup to use U.S. EPA’s Marine Debris tracking methods

Release Date: 04/16/2013
Contact Information: U.S. EPA -Dean Higuchi, 808-541-2711, [email protected] Andersen AFB – Captain Christopher Hoyler, 671-366-4202 Guam EPA – Tammy Jo Anderson-Taft, 671-300-4752

(04/16/13) Released jointly by: U.S. EPA, Andersen AFB, Guam EPA
HONOLULU – The Andersen Air Force Base 36th Civil Engineer Squadron’s Environmental Flight’s beach cleanup on April 21 from Tarague Beach to Pati Point will make use of a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency tracking method developed by the agency’s Pacific Southwest Region, helping the U.S. EPA and Guam EPA with a priority program to combat coastal and marine debris pollution.
This event will go beyond a traditional beach cleanup by having participants document the types of debris, such as plastics, Styrofoam, wood or fishing-related waste, and even, when possible, the brand names of debris items. The U.S. EPA and Guam EPA will use the data to identify key industries and manufacturers which may be responsible for sources of marine debris pollution.

The Andersen beach cleanup is in collaboration with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s Guam National Wildlife Refuge, Guam Division of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources, and Guam EPA.

The Andersen effort is one of a growing number of Department of Defense led marine debris cleanup projects -- a partnership between DOD and the U.S. EPA -- to systematically document and cleanup U.S. beaches in the Pacific. Other projects have taken place at the Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach, Naval Support Activity Monterey and Naval Base Coronado Silver Strand Beach in California. In addition, U.S. EPA is partnering with California universities and colleges in similar efforts, the most recent of which was a cleanup project with California State University Channel Islands.

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