|
WASHINGTON, DC - Although many South Carolina beachgoers will be looking to the sky this July 4, the Clean Beaches Council is encouraging everyone to take a moment and look down at the trash collecting around their feet. As part of the fourth annual National Clean Beaches Week, June 29-July 5, the council aims to raise awareness of the threats facing our beaches and to increase public responsibility and stewardship of public beaches around the country.
With some 180 million people visiting the U.S. coast each year and more than half of the total U.S. population now living in a coastal county (more than at any time in our nation’s history), beach litter is a growing problem. Litter can harm marine life, coral reefs, recreational and commercial vessels, as well as people. Clean Beaches Council estimates that in 2006 alone, more than 390 pounds of litter was collected per mile of coastline during a yearly coastal clean up sponsored by the Ocean Conservancy.
Congressman Brown, the lead Republican sponsor of this important legislation said, “I am proud to have joined with my friend Congressman Frank Pallone from New Jersey to introduce H. Res. 186, which supports the goals and ideals of National Clean Beaches Week and recognizes the considerable value of American beaches and their role in American culture. South Carolina’s first congressional district, which I am proud to represent, is home to over 75% of the state’s coastline. Our beaches are our economic lifeblood as tourism is the number one contributor to our state’s economy, not to mention our quality of life.”
More than 60 counties, 50 mayors and 30 governors in coastal areas have issued proclamations or resolutions supporting the week. Additionally, the U.S. Senate has unanimously passed Clean Beaches Week legislation and House of Representatives are poised to do so before the July 4th recess.
Brown, Co-Chair of the Congressional Coastal Caucus and the Congressional Shellfish Caucus, concurred with Walter McLeod, President of Clean Beaches Council, when he said, “It’s time we take responsibility for the mess we are making, instead of expecting someone to clean it up. Let’s make sure this July 4th, all we leave behind on the beach are our footprints.”
|
|
