Volunteers, Port Tenants Rid San Diego Bay Tidelands of Junk

Monday, 31 August 2009
Contact: Dale Frost (619) 686-6200

A rusty refrigerator; a yellow rubber ducky; a barnacle-encrusted sailboat hull: These are a few of the thousands of objects removed from San Diego Bay on August 29 by 850 volunteers during the 19th Annual Operation Clean Sweep. The event is sponsored by the Port of San Diego and organized by the San Diego Port Tenants Association.

While shoreside volunteers collected debris that accumulated along the National City waterfront and Paradise Creek Marsh, U.S. Navy Divers and divers from San Diego Diving Services dislodged sailboat hulls and an assortment of other crusty objects from the bottom of the bay. Shoreside volunteers also worked in Chollas Creek and Cesar Chavez Park.

“I like cleaning up and helping the environment,” said 14-year-old Jacqueline Avitia, whose father works at NASSCO. She was participating in her fourth Operation Clean Sweep, removing styrofoam cups and plastic bags from the Paradise Creek Marsh. Larger objects such as leather chairs with weeds popping out of the cushions were also removed.

Within a few hours, a number of huge dumpsters were filled with trash.

“We are proud to sponsor this event because it benefits the health and safety of San Diego Bay so that it can be enjoyed by our region’s residents and visitors,” said Stephen P. Cushman, Chairman of the Board of Port Commissioners.

He thanked all of the volunteers and the San Diego Port Tenants Association businesses who donated boats, cranes and heavy equipment to remove the junk.

The coveted “Most Unique Trash” award went to the U.S. Navy Divers for finding and removing the barnacle-encrusted sailboat hull.