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1.25 Tons of Trash Prevented from Entering Newport Bay at Volunteer River Cleanup

The June 18 cleanup event was a collaborative effort by Orange County Coastkeeper, Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris and Senator Dave Min

For immediate release:
1.25 Tons of Trash Prevented from Entering Newport Bay at Volunteer River Cleanup

On Saturday, June 18th, a group of 78 volunteers joined Orange County Coastkeeper Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris, and Senator Dave Min for a trash cleanup at the Santa Ana-Delhi channel in Costa Mesa. In just two hours, the group removed over 2,500 pounds of debris from the waterway, preventing it from impacting Upper Newport Bay. This astounding number is the most trash picked up at a single cleanup in OC Coastkeeper’s 23-year history. Volunteers snagged several large items, such as musical instruments, rugs, bike tires, blankets, and a stethoscope.

“It makes me so happy when I see people really care about our community. Thank you to the amazing volunteers who made this River Channel Cleanup a huge success,” said Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris (D-Irvine). “Over 2,500 pounds of trash were collected. Just imagine, all of that could have ended up in the ocean.”

“Keeping river channels clean and trash-free is vital to protecting our local wetlands and estuaries, especially here at the edge of Newport Back Bay,” said Senator Dave Min (D-Irvine). “I’m grateful to Orange County Coastkeeper and Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris for partnering together on the river cleanup that drew scores of volunteers in Costa Mesa. This level of enthusiasm shows how important this joint effort was to our Orange County community, and I hope we continue to break more records like Saturday’s 2,500 pound haul from the Santa Ana-Delhi Channel.” 

“Protecting the ocean from trash begins in our neighborhoods,” said Dyana Peña, Orange County Coastkeeper’s Deputy Director of Programs. “The volunteers who showed up today should be extremely proud of their accomplishments. Being able to prevent over 2,500 pounds of trash from entering Newport Bay is incredible.” 

Orange County waterways collect trash from inland communities via the county’s rivers and storm drains. If not intercepted, the pollution impacts our oceans and shorelines. Community cleanups are one of the best ways for the public to help prevent this debris from polluting the sea and harming marine wildlife. 

By cleaning up the Santa Ana-Delhi channel, the volunteers helped protect one of California’s few remaining estuaries, Upper Newport Bay. The bay plays a vital role in our marine ecosystem and for local recreational uses. 

LINK TO PHOTOS: https://occk.tiny.us/06-18-22-photos

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Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris represents California’s 74th District including Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, Costa Mesa, Laguna Woods and parts of Irvine and Huntington Beach. She is the Chair of the Accountability and Administrative Review Committee and a member of Banking and Finance Committee; Jobs, Economic Development, and the Economy Committee; Revenue & Taxation Committee and Veterans Committee. After working her way through Yale University, where she double majored in Economics and English, Cottie had a successful 20-year career in finance and technology. She helped to build businesses and led teams at Fortune 500 corporations, small companies and start-ups. Follow the Assemblywoman on Twitter twitter.com/AsmCottie or on Facebook facebook.com/AssemblywomanCPN. 

Orange County Coastkeeper is a member of Waterkeeper Alliance, which supports over 350 different independent programs across 47 countries. Founded in 1999, the mission of Coastkeeper is to protect and promote sustainable water resources that are swimmable, drinkable, and fishable. Coastkeeper is a nonprofit clean water organization that serves as a proactive steward of our fresh- and saltwater ecosystems. Coastkeeper addresses water issues impacting Riverside and San Bernardino counties through our Inland Empire Waterkeeper and Coachella Valley Waterkeeper programs. We work collaboratively with diverse groups in the public and private sectors to achieve healthy, accessible, and sustainable water resources for the region. We implement innovative, effective programs in education, advocacy, restoration, research, enforcement, and conservation. For more information, visit www.coastkeeper.org or call 714-850-1965.