Assessment of Marine Debris in the Mid-Atlantic...2017/01/11 · MARCO state, Delaware River...
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Assessment of Marine Debris in the Mid-Atlantic Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Virginia
Transcript of Assessment of Marine Debris in the Mid-Atlantic...2017/01/11 · MARCO state, Delaware River...
AssessmentofMarineDebrisintheMid-AtlanticDelaware,Maryland,NewJersey,NewYorkandVirginia
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ThisdocumentwasproducedwithcontributionsfromNicoleRodi(DNREC),LauraMcKay(VDEQ),
KathleenM.Register(CleanVirginiaWaterways),andKaityGoldsmith(MARCO).
TheMid-AtlanticRegionalCouncilontheOcean(MARCO)recognizesthatinformationonmarinedebrisisrapidlyevolving;continuedreviewisimportanttounderstandthesystemsaffectedbymarinedebrismanagementandresearchefforts.TheinformationinthisreportwillinformMARCOactivities,butnothinginthisdocumentshouldbeconstruedasaMARCOendorsementorMARCOpolicy.Wehopethatothersfindtheinformationinthisreportusefultotheirmarinedebrisefforts.FundingforthisprojectwasthroughDelawareCoastalManagementProgramusingFederalfundsunderawardNA15NOS4190166fromtheNationalOceanicandAtmosphericAdministration(NOAA),U.S.DepartmentofCommerce(DOC).Thestatements,findings,conclusions,andrecommendationsdonotnecessarilyreflecttheviewsofNOAAortheDOC.
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TableofContentsBackground..................................................................................................................................................3
TrendsOverTimeintheMid-Atlantic......................................................................................................5
ComparisonbetweenStates....................................................................................................................7
CauseforConcern..................................................................................................................................10
PolicyAnalysis............................................................................................................................................11
CigaretteButts.......................................................................................................................................11
ConsumerPlastics..................................................................................................................................13
PlasticBags.........................................................................................................................................13
PlasticBeverageBottles.....................................................................................................................15
CapsandLids......................................................................................................................................15
FoodWrappersandContainers.............................................................................................................16
Balloons..................................................................................................................................................17
Microplastics..........................................................................................................................................18
MicrobeadFreeWatersActof2015..................................................................................................19
DerelictFishingGear..............................................................................................................................19
NOAAMid-AtlanticMarineDebrisReductionWorkshop..........................................................................20
DerelictFishingGear..............................................................................................................................20
ConsumerDebris....................................................................................................................................21
Conclusions................................................................................................................................................22
GapsinInformation................................................................................................................................22
ProjectIdeas...........................................................................................................................................23
Bibliography...............................................................................................................................................24
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BackgroundThisreportisaninitialassessmentofmarinedebrisinthefivestateMARCOregionanda
compilationofhighlightsfromtheNationalOceanicandAtmosphericAdministrationMarineDebris
ReductionWorkshopforDelaware,D.C.,MarylandandVirginiaheldinJune2015(NationalOceanicand
AtmosphericAdministrationMarineDebrisProgram,2015).Marinedebrisandcoastallitterisbecoming
aglaringlyobviousindicatorofincreasedworldconsumption,population,andneglectforthe
environment.TheUnitedStateshastakenaleadroleinreducingmarinedebrisandonshoremarine
litterthroughmanygovernmentandNGOinitiatives.Marinedebrishasslowlybecomeahotbutton
issuebecauseofitshighlyvisibleandabundantpresenceinthemarineenvironment.OneofMARCO’s
sharedregionalprioritiesiswaterqualitywhichhighlightsoceanacidificationandmarinedebris
initiatives.
Since1986,theInternationalCoastalCleanup(ICC)hasbeenleadingvolunteersonacrusadeto
cleantheworldwaterwaysandoceans.Inadditiontoremovingtrashandlitterfromstreams,rivers,
beachesandcoastalwaters,volunteersalsocollectdataaboutwhattheyfind.Thedatausedtoanalyze
marinedebrisintheregionaregatheredbytheICCthroughlarge-scalevolunteerefforts(Ocean
Conservancy,2013)(Fig.1).Dataareavailabletothepublicfortheyears2008-2015.Thoughthedata
collectedbytheICCarerobust,spanningmanyyearsforalargegeographicrange,theyareonlya
snapshotofmarinedebristrendsandcollectioneffortshappeningintheregion.TheICCdoesnot
accountforvolunteereffortasameasureoftimespentoneachbeach;italsodoesnotrequireaspecific
methodologyfordatacollectionandcleaning.Forthisreason,itisalsoimportanttolookatother
Figure1
Mapofthe5MARCOstatesplusPennsylvania(PA)and
thelocationsoftheInternationalCoastalCleanupused
tocollectthedata.ThoughPennsylvaniaisnota
MARCOstate,DelawareRivercleanupsinPAcan
influencedebrisabundanceinNewJerseyand
Delaware.Someofthedotsonthemaprepresent
multiplecleanupevents.
NY
NJMD
DE
VA
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valuabledatasourcessuchastheNationalMarineDebrisMonitoringProgram(NMDMP)(Sheavly,
2007).
TheEnvironmentalProtectionAgencyalongwiththeOceanConservancydevelopedthe
NMDMPafteraseriesofpilotstudiesthatevaluatedthebestmethodologyforcollectingmarinedebris
monitoringdata.Theprogramwascreatedtostandardizemarinedebrismonitoringmethodology
leadingtomorestatisticallyvaliddatacollection.TheNMDMPusedindicatoritemstotrackchangesin
debrisabundancefromland-based,ocean-based,andgeneral-sourceitemsoveraperiodoffiveyears
from2001-2006.ForthestudytheUnitedStateswassplitintonineregionsand20beacheswerechosen
ineachregion;region2encompassedtheNortheast/Mid-AtlanticfromSouthofCapeCod,MAto
Beaufort,NC(Sheavly,2007).Therewere13sitesinthemonitoringstudyfoundonMARCOstate
beaches:
SITE6HitherHillsStatePark,NY
SITE7WesthamptonBeach,NY
SITE8RobertMosesStatePark,NY
SITE9JonesBeachStatePark,NY
SITE10GatewayNationalRecreationArea,NJ
SITE11IslandBeachStatePark,NJ
SITE12CapeHenlopenStatePark,DE
SITE13FenwickIslandStatePark,DE
SITE14DelawareSeashoreStatePark,DE
SITE15Strathmere,NJ
SITE16ChincoteagueIslandNationalWildlife
Refuge,VA
SITE17BackBayNationalWildlifeRefuge,VA
SITE21BradleyBeach,NJ
From2001to2006theNMDMPfoundasignificantincreaseofindicatoritemsfromland-based,
ocean-basedandgeneralsourceitems.Theincreaseofgeneral-sourceitemswas30.2%annuallyand
includeditemssuchasplasticbeveragebottles(13.8%)andsmallplasticbags(7.7%).Land-based
sourcesincreasedby24.2%annuallyandincludedindicatoritemssuchasstraws(39.4%),balloons
(7.7%),andcottonswabs(5.9%)(Sheavly,2007).
ThoughtheNMDMPmonitoringisnolongeroccurringintheMid-Atlantictheguidelinesset
forthbytheEPAandOceanConservancycanservetohelpstandardizefuturemarinedebrismonitoring
surveys.ItisalsoimportanttonotethattheNationalOceanicandAtmosphericAdministration(NOAA)
hasalsodevelopedmethodologyforstandardizedshorelinemonitoringandcleanup
(http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/ShorelineFieldGuide2012.pdf).Asstatedbefore,the
datagatheredbytheICCfrom2008to2013willbeusedinthisreporttofindinitialgeneraltrendsof
marinedebrisintheMid-Atlantic.
TheICCisorganizedworldwidebytheOceanConservancy.Inthemid-Atlantic,theICCis
organizedby:
Delaware:DelawareDepartmentofNaturalResources&EnvironmentalControl
Maryland:GeriSchlenoff-Independent
NewJersey:CleanOceanActionandAdoptaBeachprogram(runbytheNJCleanCommunitiesCouncil)
NewYork:AmericanLittoralSociety
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Virginia:CleanVirginiaWaterwaysofLongwoodUniversity
TrendsOverTimeintheMid-AtlanticAccordingtoICCdata,from2008-2015theregionhad156,878volunteersclean5,500milesof
coastandcollectover3.7millionpoundsofdebris(Ocean Conservancy, 2013).Cigarettebuttsshowaverydrasticdipinnumbercollectedduringthe2011collectionyear(Figure2).Thiscouldpossiblylinkto
increasedsmokingbansonoutdoorpublicplacessuchasbeachesandparksintheentireMid-Atlantic
regionduringthistimeframe.Thetrendcouldhavealsobeeninfluencedbyextremeweatherandrain
events;thecleanupin2011occurredonlyafewdaysafterHurricaneIrene.In2013,theICCchangedthe
datacollectionprocessandregroupedsomeofthesecategories.Forexample,thecategoryoffood
wrappersandcontainersinthe2008-2012dataissplitintomultiplecategoriesin2013-2015including:
foodwrappers(candy,chips,etc.),takeout/awaycontainers(foam),andtakeout/awaycontainers
(plastic);theICCdoesnotprovidealistofhowcategoriesweremergedordividedbetweenthedata
priortoandafter2013.Foodwrappers(candy,chips,etc.)didmakethetoptenlistfor2013-2015as
wellas2008- 2012(table1).
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
ItemsCollected(Thousands)
Year
Top10DebrisItemsCollectedduringtheICC,
2008-2015
Bags(Plastic)
BeverageBottles(Glass)
BeverageBottles(Plastic)
BeverageCans
Caps,Lids
CigaretteButts
FoamPieces
FoodWrappers/Containers
PlasticPieces
Figure2
Thegraphdetailsthetoptendebrisitemsfrom2008-2015.Notablythecategoriesofbags,capsandlids,andfood
wrappersandcontainersareremovedasindividualcategoriesfromtheICCafter2012,andarereplacedbyplasticpieces
andfoampiecescategoriesin2013(TheOceanConservancy,2013).
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2008-2012 2013-2015
CigaretteButts CigaretteButts
Caps,Lids FoamPieces
FoodWrappers/Containers PlasticPieces
BeverageBottles(Plastic) FoodWrappers(candy,chips,etc.)
Bags(Plastic) BottleCaps(Plastic)
Straws,Stirrers BeverageBottles(Plastic)
Cups,Plates,Forks,Knives,Spoons GlassPieces
BeverageCans Straws,Stirrers
BeverageBottles(Glass) BeverageCans
PaperBags GroceryBags(Plastic)
TheMid-Atlantichasseenan
amazingamountofvolunteerparticipation
overthepast8yearsofcollectiondata.The
ICChasbeenleadingvolunteercoastal
cleanupsfor30years;giventhesteady
participationoftwentythousand
volunteersayearintheregion,theMid-
Atlanticregionhasdependedonoverhalfa
millionvolunteerstocleanbeachesafter
beachseasonoverthepast3decades.The
distancecleanedduringtheICChas
fluctuatedbetween500and800milesof
coastlinecleanedayear.Thedatareflected
inFigure3containsdatafrominland
waterwaysthatflowintobaysandocean
waters,aswellasoceanandbayfacing
shorelines.Volunteerscleaninland
waterwayssuchastheAnacostiaRiverand
LakeErie;therefore,thisdataisnot
reflectiveofonlytheoceanfacingshoreline
(Fig.1)
Thematerialseenmostoften
duringtheICCintheMid-Atlanticisplastic
(83%)(Fig.4).Notsurprisinglyplasticis
alsothemostcommontypeofmarine
debrisfoundintheUS,andscientists
Table1
ToptencollecteddebrisitemsduringtheInternationalCoastalCleanup
overthepast8yearsweresplitintotwotimeframesduetochangesin
datacollectionandprocessing.
Figure3(a)and(b)
OnaveragetheMid-Atlanticcleans800milesofbeachayear(a)andthe
regionhasmaintainedasteadyrateofvolunteerism(b)overthepast
sevenyears.(TheOceanConservancy,2013).
b
a
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estimatethat80percentofdebristhataccumulatesonshoreandintheoceanisplastic(Wabnitzand
Nichols,2010).The16percentofnon-plasticwasterepresentscategoriesthathadspecifiedmaterial
typessuchasmetalbottlecaps,rope,paperbagsandglasspieces.Theonepercentofunspecified
materialfoundincludesthecategoriesoffishingbuoys,pots&traps,andforks,knives,spoons;these
categoriesdidnotspecifymaterialtypenorcouldtheybeeasilyassumed.
ComparisonbetweenStates TheMid-Atlanticisaverydiverseregion,hometomanylargecoastalmetropolitanareasanda
varietyofcoastalandoceanenvironmentswhichbringdiverseenvironmentalconcerns.ManyMARCO
stateshaveindividualprioritiesbecauseoftheregion’sassortedecosystemsandlandusepractices,
thereforeitisimportanttounderstandtheissuesofconsumerdebrisandhowtheyrelateonastateby
statebasis.Comparingthetopfiveitemscollectedineachstate,cigarettebuttsrankthehighestin
everystateexceptMaryland(Fig.5).Marylandhascollectedasignificantlyhigheramountoffoam
piecesthananyotherstateintheregionaswellasalargeamountofplasticpieces.
1%
83%
16%
MaterialTypeintheMid-Atlantic,ICC
2015
Unspecified Plastic Non-Plastic
Figure4
Intheregionplasticsmakeup83percentofthedebrisfoundlitteringshorelines.Onlyonepercentis
unspecifiedmaterial,whichincludesfishingbuoys,pots&traps,andforks,knives,spoons(TheOcean
Conservancy,2013).
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0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
DE MD NJ NY VA
PoundsCollected
(Millions)
PoundsCleaned,ICC2008-
2015
Figure5
Thetopfiveitemsofdebriscollectedincludethreecategoriesofconsumerdebrisandtwomicroplasticcategories.Only
theyearsof2013-2015wereusedduetochangesindatarecordingmethodsin2013.Thedatareflectsthediversityof
regionaldebrisandtheabundanceofcigarettebuttsfoundinmoststates.Thischartdoesnotaccountforamountof
shorelineperstateonwhichmarinedebriswascollected(TheOceanConservancy,2013).
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
DE MD NJ NY VA
NumberofItems
(Millions)
NumberofItemsCollected,ICC
2008-2015
VirginiacollectedthegreatestweightofdebrisofallfiveMARCOstates;however,examiningthe
numberofdebrisitemscollectedshowsthatVirginiaiscomparabletootherstateswhileNewYorkhas
collectedahighnumberofitems(Fig.6(a)and(b)).ThistrendsuggeststhatthedebrisVirginiais
cleaningupismuchheavierthandebrisNewYorkiscollecting.Theseresultscouldpointtothe
aquacultureindustry;Virginiahasagreatamountofclamandoysteraquacultureandclamnetsget
washedonshoreregularly.Whennetsandropearefoundasdebrisitemsonbeachestheyaretypically
0 50 100 150 200 250
DE
MD
NJ
NY
VA
ThousandsofItems
Satte
Top5ItemsCollectedintheMid-Atlantic,
2013-2015
PlasticPieces
FoodWrappers(candy,chips,
etc.)
FoamPieces
CigaretteButts
BottleCaps(Plastic)
Figure6
NewYorkhadthemostnumberofitemscollectedoverthepastsevenyears(a);however,Virginiahadthehighestnumber
ofpoundsofitemscollected(b)(TheOceanConservancy,2013).
a b
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heavyfromwaterloggingandbiofouling.IncontrastNewYorkhasthemostitemscollectedwhichcould
belinkedtothelargenumberofcigarettebuttscollected,approximately150thousand,greaterthanall
otherMid-AtlanticStates.Thedatawasnormalizedbycalculatingeffortusingpoundsofdebriscollected
pervolunteer(Fig.7).MarylandandVirginiahadthegreatestamountofeffortfromtheirvolunteers,
averagingover40and50poundsperpersonrespectively.Calculatingeffortperpersonconsidersthe
mileswalkedaswellasthehoursspentcleaningandthereforeisthemostefficientandaccuratewayto
calculateeffortwiththedataprovided.Thetrendscouldbecorrelatedtotheintensecleanupassociated
withtheAnacostiaRiverinWashingtonD.C.TheAnacostiaRiverisknowntobeheavilypollutedwith
consumerdebris.
AnothermethodusedtounderstandthevalueoftheICCwascalculatingthemonetaryvalueof
thevolunteers.TheICCdoesnotcollectdataonhoursspentduringthecleanup,thereforethisvalue
hadtobecalculated;Itisestimatedthatistakesanadult,walkingatanaveragepace,20minutesto
walkonemile.Usingthisfigure,hourswereascertainedfrommileagedataandmonetaryvaluewas
calculatedusingstateminimumwage(VolunteersX(milesXminutes)Xstateminimumwage=monetary
valueofvolunteers’time).IfMARCOstatesweretopayICCvolunteersaminimumwagetocleanthe
Mid-Atlanticbeaches,thestateswouldspendonaverageacombined$229,280cleaningthecoastline
eachyear.Extrapolatedoverthelastsevenyearsitwouldhavecostover$1.5million.Theseestimates
areconservativebecauseittypicallytakeslongertowalkonsandandvolunteersareconstantlystopping
topickupdebris.UsingthesamehourlyestimateandtheIndependentSectorNationalValueof
VolunteerTime(https://www.independentsector.org/volunteer_time)theMid-Atlanticwouldhave
spentover$700,000on2015’sonedaycleanupandalmost$5millionoverthelastsevenyears.The
Figure7
VirginiaandMarylandhadvolunteersshowthegreatestamountofefforttocleanthe
shorelines.Effortwascalculatedusingthepoundsofdebriscollectedperperson;this
methodfactoredinbothtimespentanddistancewalked(TheOceanConservancy,2013).
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
DE MD NJ NY VA
PoundsperVolunteer
State
VolunteerEffort,ICC2008-2015
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IndependentSector’s“valueofvolunteertimeisbasedonhourlyearningsofnon-supervisoryworkers
onprivatenon-farmpayrolls”(IndependentSector,2016).BothofthesefiguresrepresentICCcleanup
efforts,nottheentiretyofeffortneededtocleanalldebrisfromthewholeMid-Atlanticcoastline.
CauseforConcern Consumerdebrismayseemsmallandharmlesstohumans,however,intheocean,consumer
debrisassmallasabottlecapcancausedeath.AccordingtoNOAA’sMarineDebrisProgram,thereare
twocommonwaysmarineorganismscanbeharmedbymarinedebris:entanglementandingestion
(NOAAMarineDebrisProgram,2014a&2014b).Animalscangetentangledinderelictfishinggearand
ropes,aswellsasaggregatesofplasticfloatingonthesurfaceoftheocean.Entanglementinplastic
filamentcanleadtodecreasedswimmingability,lifethreateninginjuries,disruptioninfeedingactivity
andevendeathbydrowning(NOAAMarineDebrisProgram,2014a).
Ingestionofconsumerdebris,commonamongseaturtles,marinemammals,andavianspecies,
tendstohavemoreprolongedeffects.Ingestionofhardandsharpplasticobjectscanleadtolacerations
andlesionsintheintestines,causingmalnutrition,starvationandinternalbleeding.Theblockageofthe
intestinecanalsoleadtostarvationandmalnutrition,endingmostcertainlyindeath(NOAAMarine
DebrisProgram,2014a).Overtimeconsistentingestionofplasticscancauselargeamountsofplastic
debristostayinthedigestivetracteventuallystarvingtheanimalofvitalnutrientsfromnaturalprey.
Duringthistimetoxinsfromplasticcanbeabsorbedandbuildupinthebodycausingneurological
damage,reproductivefailure,andcancer(Smith,2014).
PlasticgrocerybagsandballoonsareofspecialconcerntotheAtlanticCoastbecauseofthe
largenestingandforagingpopulationsofseaturtlesthatfrequentthewatersoftheAtlanticOcean.
Researchhasfoundthatplasticgrocerybagslooksomuchlikejellyfish,seaturtlesareselectively
ingestingthem(Schuyler,Wilcox,Townsend,Hardesty,&Marshall,2014).Balloonsandplasticbagsget
easilycaughtinaseaturtle’sthroat;thestringsfromtheballooncangetwrappedaroundseaturtles’
flippersandnecks.VirginiaistheonlyMid-Atlanticstateinwhichloggerheadseaturtleshavebeen
knowntonest,butalargeswathofoceanoffthecoastofMaryland,Virginia,Delawareandaportionof
NewJerseyhasbeendesignatedascriticalsargassumhabitatformaturinghatchlingsbytheNational
OceanographicandAtmosphericAssociation,NationalMarineFisheriesService(NOAANMFS)(Fig.8)
(NationalMarineFisheriesService,2014).IntheMid-Atlantic,focusonshorenestingbirdsismuch
greaterthanseaturtles;thebeachesarehometomanymigratoryshorebirdnestinggrounds.Arecent
studyclaimsthatnearlyeveryseabirdspecieswillhaveplasticintheirgutby2050;thescientistshave
alreadyestimatedthat60percentofallseabirdspecieshaveplasticintheirgutandthat90percentof
allseabirdsalivehaveingestedplastic(Wilcox,VanSebille,&Hardesty,2015).Forthesereasons,itis
importanttoreducetheinfluxofconsumerdebrisproductsintocoastalwatersandtheocean.
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Figure8
CriticalhabitatmapcreatedbyNOAANMFSshowingessentialhabitatsforthreatenedLoggerheadseaturtles.Eventhough
thereisverylittlenestingintheMid-AtlantictherearestillMid-Atlanticcoastalwatersthatwouldbehazardousfor
Loggerheadsifpolluted(NationalMarineFisheriesService,2014).
PolicyAnalysis
CigaretteButtsCigarettebuttsarethesinglemostabundantmarinelitterintheworld(OceanConservancy,
2015).Thefiltersofcigarettesaremadeofplastic,andcontainharmfulchemicalsthatcanleachintothe
water(Novotny,etal.,2011).Thenegativeeffectsofthesechemicalscanpersistintheenvironmentfor
years.Seabirdsareknowntoingestlargeamountsofcigarettebutts,ingestionnotonlyleadsto
chemicaltoxicity,butalsolargeamountsofindigestibleplasticsinthestomachcancauseintestinal
blockage(NationalOceanicandAtmosphericAdministrationMarineDebrisProgram,2014b).
ManystatesintheMid-Atlantichavepassedsmokingbansonbeachesandpublicparksoverthe
pastfiveyears.Notonlydoesthisimproveairqualityandreducetheriskofsecondhandsmoke,butit
alsohelpskeepcigarettebuttsoffthegroundavoidingingestionbyanimalsandhumans,andkeeping
buttsawayfromtheocean.Belowisalistofbeachesandparkswithsmokingbansforeachstateinthe
Mid-Atlantic.
NewYork
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• EffectiveMay23,2011,smokingwasbannedinallparks,boardwalks,beaches,recreation
centers,swimmingpoolsandpedestrianplazasinNewYorkCity.
• OnDecember31,2014,abanonoutdoorsmokinginNewYorkparkswasupheldunanimously
byamid-levelcourt,reversingajudgeanddismissingachallengefiledbyasmokers’rights
grouptoregulationspromulgatedbytheOfficeofParks,RecreationandHistoricPreservationin
2013establishingno-smokingareasvariousparksstatewide,includingpopularbeachesandall
ninestateparkswithinNewYorkCity.(NYCParks,n.d.)
*FormoreinformationonsmokinglawsinNewYorkCitygoto
https://www.nycgovparks.org/facility/rules/smoke-free
NewJersey
• Therearemorethan240municipalitiesand12countieswithordinancesinplacethatban
smokinginmunicipalandcountyparks.Additionally,morethanadozenmunicipalitieshavealso
enactedlawstobansmokingonbeaches.
• Pequannock-bannedsmokinginpublicparksorplaygrounds,2011
• SeasidePark-smokingisbannedonallbeachesandboardwalks,2011
• HarveyCedarsandShipBottom-bannedbeachsmokingwhilelifeguardsareonduty,2013
• LongBranchandSunsetBeachinCapeMayCounty-smokefree,2014
• Belmar-smokingisbannedontheboardwalkandonsectionsofitsbeaches,2014
• OceanCity-designatedsmokingareasonitsboardwalk,2015
• VetoedBills
o IntroducedBill1/6/2014:Prohibitssmokingonpropertyacquiredordevelopedfor
recreationandconservationpurposesbylocalgovernmentunitsornonprofit
organizationsusingStatefunds.
o IntroducedBill1/6/2014:ProhibitssmokingatStateparks,forests,beaches,andwildlife
managementareas.
o IntroducedBill1/6/2014:ProhibitssmokingatState-ownedbeaches.
o IntroducedBill1/6/2014:Permitsmunicipalitytoestablishcivilpenaltyforsmokingin
publicplaces.(NewJerseyLegislature-Bills,n.d.)
*TakenfromtheNJstateLegislator,formoreinformationaboutthesebillsgoto
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bills/BillsByKeyword.asp
Virginia
• Smokingnotallowedatstateparks(VirginiaStateParks,n.d.)
FormoreinformationonsmokinglawsinVirginiagotohttp://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-
parks/rules-and-regulations
Maryland
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• EffectiveMay1,2015,OceanCityhasnewdesignatedsmokingareas
o Areashave22-gallonwastereceptacleslocatedonthebeach15feetofftheBoardwalk.
o Smokingallowedwithin15feetofthewastereceptacle
o TheBoardwalkisasmoke-freezone.
o Thesmokingrulesapplytocigarettes,cigars,pipes,e-cigarettes,andanyothermatter
orsubstancethatcontainstobacco.
o OceanCityBeachPatrolisnotresponsibleforenforcingthesmokingrules
• Smokingisprohibitedinstateparksinareaswherenoticeisposted(SmokingRulesatOcean
City,Maryland,n.d.)
*FormoreinformationaboutthesmokingbaninOceanCityMarylandgoto
http://ococean.com/explore-oc/smoking-rules
Delaware
• StateParks-May,2011“TobaccoFreeZones”
• BethanyBeach-Smokingbannedin2011
• DeweyandFenwickBeach-smokingbannedin2013
• NewCastleshassmokefreeparksandplaygroundssince2011
• Smyrna-smokingbannedwithin25ft.ofpublicspacesin2011
• DelawareCity-smokeFreeparkssince2012
• Dover-smokefreeplaygrounds
• CityofRehobothandRehobothBeach-SmokefreesinceMarch2014
• CityofLewes-smokingbannedatallcitypublicparksandplaygrounds(DelawareStateParks
GeneralInformation,n.d.)
*FormoreinformationaboutTobaccoFreeZonesonstateparkbeachesgoto
http://www.destateparks.com/general_info/tobacco-free.asp
Lawsandregulationssuchasthoselistedabovearethefirststepindecreasingcigarettebutt
abundanceintheocean,howeverlargeemphasisshouldbeplacedonsocialmarketingandanti-litter
campaignsinthefuture.Unfortunately,peopleareconstantlythrowingbuttsoutoftheircarwindows,
thoughmanywhosmokewouldnotconsiderthislittering,thebuttsstillendupinstormwaterdrains
thatcouldleaddirectlytoestuariesandtheocean.
ConsumerPlastics
PlasticBagsPlasticgrocerybagbansgainednationalattentionin2007whenSanFrancisco,CAbanned
plasticbagsinanumberofgrocerystoresaroundthecity.Afteralargenationalpushforplasticgrocery
bagbans,manystates,municipalities,andcountieshaveadoptedbagbanandbagfeeordinances.
Thereareonlyahandfulofstateswithmunicipalitybagbansandfees,includingtwoMARCOstates:
MarylandandNewYork.Also,notableintheregionistheD.C.baglawentitledtheAnacostiaRiver
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CleanUpandProtectionAct(2009)whichaimstochangeconsumerbehaviorandencouragereusable
bagusetodecreaseplasticgrocerybagpollutionintheAnacostiaRiver(2010 DC B 150).
“DC-BagLaw
TheAnacostiaRiverCleanUpandProtectionAct('BagLaw')requiresallDistrictbusinessesthat
sellfoodoralcoholtochargefivecentsforeachdisposablepaperorplasticcarryoutbag—
whetherornotfoodoralcoholproductsarepurchasedinthestore.
Thebusinessretainsonecent(ortwocentsifitoffersarebatewhencustomersbringtheirown
bag),andtheremainingthreeorfourcentsgotoTheAnacostiaRiverCleanUpandProtection
Fund.Thelawalsorequiresthatreusablepaperandplasticbagsmeetspecificmaterialand
labelingrequirements.”(SkiptheBag,SavetheRiver,n.d.)
*ReprintedfromtheDistrictDepartmentoftheEnvironment,formoreinformationonthebaglawinDCgoto:http://ddoe.dc.gov/bags
“MARYLAND-2ordinancescovering21municipalities.
Chestertown-CityCouncilpassedaplasticbagbanthatwaseffectiveJanuary2012
MontgomeryCounty-MontgomeryCountypassedlegislationeffectiveJanuary2012thatplaces
afive-centchargeoneachpaperorplasticcarryoutbagprovidedbyretailestablishmentsinthe
Countytocustomersatthepointofsale,pickupordelivery.Retailersretainonecentofthefee
andtheremainderwillbedepositedintotheCounty’sWaterQualityProtectionChargeFund.
Therevenueswilleffectivelyshifttheburdenoflitterclean-upcostsfrompublictaxpayersto
consumerswhohaveachoicetoavoidthe5-centchargebybringingreusablebags.
NEWYORK-5ordinancescovering5municipalities.
PlasticBagReduction,ReuseandRecyclingAct(2008NYA11725)Retailersofstoresaretoestablishin-storerecyclingprogramsthatprovideanopportunityfor
thecustomertoreturncleanplasticcarryoutbagstoberecycled.Theplasticcarryoutbags
providedbythestoremusthaveprintedonthem“PleasereturntoaParticipatingStorefor
Recycling.”
EastHampton-PlasticbagbanpassedbytheVillageBoardinJuly2011andeffectiveFebruary
2012.
Larchmont-TheVillageofLarchmontpassedaplasticcheckoutbagbaninMarch2013,
effectiveOctober2013.
Mamaroneck-PlasticbagbanpassedbytheVillageBoardinJuly2012andeffectiveFebruary
2013.
Rye-PlasticbagbanpassedbyCityCouncilinDecember2011andeffectiveMay2012.
Southampton-PlasticbagbanpassedinApril2011andeffectiveNovember2011.”(Surfrider
Foundation,n.d.)(NationalConferenceofstatelegislators,2016)
15
*ReprintedfromSurfriderandNCSL,formorestatebagbansandfeesgoto
http://www.surfrider.org/pages/plastic-bag-bans-feesorhttp://www.ncsl.org/research/environment-
and-natural-resources/plastic-bag-legislation.aspx#bans
ThoughonlytwoMARCOstateshaveexistinglegislationregardingthebanningandfeeingof
plasticgrocerybags,otherstatesintheMid-Atlanticareworkingtopasssimilarlegislation.Forexample,
DelawareStatepassedalawin2009thatrequiredretailstoreswithplasticcarry-outbagstooffer
recyclingreceptaclesforthebagsinstoresandtomarkthebagswithlanguagethatencouraged
recycling(2009DEH15;Amendedby2014DEH198).BagbansandbagfeebillshavebeenconsideredinVirginiaoverthelastfewyears,buthaveyettoresultinpassageofalaw.
PlasticBeverageBottlesPlasticbeveragebottlesareaprominenttypeofplasticconsumerdebristhatplaguesthe
naturalenvironment.AreaswithhighpopulationdensitysuchasLongIsland,NYandWilmington,DE
seealargeabundanceofbottlesincityadjacentwaterbodies.Thoughwholeplasticbottlesarenot
typicallyingestedbymarineanimals,therearestillmajorimplicationstoplasticbottlesintheocean,
namelyfragmentation(Barnes,Galgani,Thompson,&Barlaz,2009).Fragmentationofplasticinthe
oceanoccurswhensunlightcausesmoleculestosplitinaprocesscalledphotodegredation(Barnes,
Galgani,Thompson,&Barlaz,2009).Thefragmentedpiecesofplastichavemanyfatesincluding
ingestionbyanimals,whichincludesmallermarinecreatures,suchasbirds,fishandinvertebrates,as
wellasbecomingmicroplasticsthathavethepotentialtoleachharmfulchemicalsintotheenvironment.
Therehasbeenanefforttoreducelitter,easeburdenonsolidwastefacilities,andencourage
recyclingactivityamongsomestatesthroughtheintroductionofa“BottleBill”.NewYorkStateisthe
onlyMARCOstatewitha“BottleBill”thatrequiresretailstorestoprovidefacilitiesforbottlereturnand
a5centperbottledepositrate(2013NYH.202).TheStateofDelawarerepealedtheir“BottleBill”
legislationin2009andreplaceditwiththeUniversalRecyclingLawwhichstatesrecyclingbinsand
regularrecyclingcollectionwillbeprovidedtoallsingle-familyhomesandbottlesthatformerlycarried
the5-centrefundabledepositthenchangedintoa4-centrecyclingfee.
CapsandLidsAllplasticbeveragebottlesareaccompaniedbycapsorlids,andthoughthebeveragebottle
(plastic#2)itselfcaneasilyberecycled,notallrecyclingfacilitiessupportbottlecaprecycling(plastic#5)
(Earth911,2015).Recently,scientistsandphotographerChrisJordanventuredtoMidwayIslandinthe
Pacifictodocumentthedeathofalbatrossrelatedtotheconsumptionofplastic(Jordan,2014).Multiple
bottlecapswerefoundinthestomachcontentofmanyofthedeceasedbirds,leadingtoadisturbing,
yeteyeopeningrealizationthatanimals,specificallyalbatrossareingestinglargemagnitudesofplastic
bottlecapsonaregularbasis(Jordan,2014).
Tofindwhatlocalrecyclingfacilitiesrecycleplasticbottlecapsgoto
http://search.earth911.com/?what=%235+Plastic+Caps.
16
ToviewatrailerforthemovieMidway,documentingthescientistsandChrisJordan’stimeonthe
island,gotohttp://blog.oceanconservancy.org/2013/03/28/midway-film-tells-story-of-plastics-in-our-
ocean-through-plight-of-albatross/
FoodWrappersandContainersAnotherextremelyabundanttypeofconsumerdebrisfoundonbeachesandinwaterways
especiallyclosetohighlypopulatedareasarefoodwrappers.Forthesimpleconvenienceofeveryday
life,mostfoodcomesprepackagedinplastic.Plasticisdurableandlightweight;itcankeepfoodfresh
fordecades.Unfortunately,mostoftheplasticusedtopackagefoodisdifficulttorecycleandisnot
reusable.Itemssuchasindividualcandywrappersorpotatochipbagswithamylarlining,plasticbags
thatareusedtopackagefood,andcardboardorpaperboardwithoilstainsfromfood(e.g.pizzaboxes)
arenotrecyclable(Earth911,2015).Eventuallytheseproductsmaketheirwaytoalandfillwherethey
canbeeasilyblownintonearbyestuariesandwaterways.
Averyspecifictypeoffoodcontainertypicallyusedatrestaurantsforcarry-outispolystyrene
(Styrofoam).Polystyrenecannotberecycled.BelowaretwolawsinMARCOstatesthatban
polystyrene.
“NEWJERSEY
Rahway(1997)CityordinancebansretailfoodvendorslocatedwithintheCityofRahway
fromselling,givingorprovidingeatingutensilsorfoodcontainerstoanyconsumerwithin
theCityofRahwayifsaideatingutensilorfoodcontaineriscomposedofpolystyreneor
polyvinylchloride.
NEWYORK
AlbanyCounty(2014)Countylegislatorspassedanexpandedpolystyrenebanforchain
restaurantswith15ormorelocationsnationwide.PassedinNovember2013andeffective
May2014.
CityofGlenCove(1988)Cityordinancebanningalltypesofpolystyrenefoodwareat
restaurants.
NewYorkCity(2015)Cityordinancebanningalltypesofpolystyrenefoodwareandfoam
packagingpeanuts.”(SurfriderFoundation,n.d.)
*TakenfromSurfrider,formorepolystyreneordinancesgotohttp://www.surfrider.org/pages/polystyrene-ordinances
MARYLAND
MontgomeryCountybannedfoamfoodpackagingatrestaurantsandthesaleoffoamfood
packagingandpackingpeanutseffectiveJanuary2016(Lawson,2015).
PrinceGeorge’sCountyeffectivelypassedabillbanningpolystyrenefoamfoodcontainers
andpackingmaterialfordistributionorsaleatrestaurantsandretailersinJuly2016
(Lawson,2015).
17
DC
TheDistrictbannedfoamfoodpackagingatrestaurantseffectiveJanuary2016.
*FormoreaboutpolystyrenebansinMarylandgotohttps://trashfreemaryland.org/2015/04/29/we-
passed-the-foam-trifecta/
BalloonsBalloonsarenothighlightedonthetoptenlistofdebrisitemsfortheworld,country,orregion
however,balloonsareaverydangeroustypeofmarinedebristhatdeserveattention.Balloonshavealso
beenchosenasafocusofVirginia’sMarineDebrisReductionPlanresearch(Register&McKay,2014).
Balloonsrepresentasmallsubsetofdebristhatbecomeslitterintentionally.Manyofthe
balloonsfoundintheoceanarereleasedforceremonialpurposes.Manypeoplewhotakepartinthese
balloonreleasesareunawareofthenegativeharmfulaffectballoonscanhaveonwildlife.Though
balloonsdonotmakeupalargeproportionoftheICCnumbers,theyareahighconcernitembecauseof
animalentanglementandingestion.Thoughmanybelievelatexballoonswillbiodegradequickly,ittakes
manyyearsforthemtobreakdown.Mylarballoonsaremadeofplasticanddonotbiodegradeinthe
environment.
Balloonsalesandmanufacturingarehardtoregulatebecausethepublicassociatesballoons
withhappytimesandoftheemotionalandspiritualconnectionpeoplehavewhentheyrelease
balloons.However,oneMARCOstatewasabletoregulatemassreleasesofballoons.
“VIRGINIA
§29.1-556.1.Releaseofcertainballoonsprohibited;civilpenalty.
A.Itshallbeunlawfulforanypersontoknowinglyreleaseorcausetobereleasedintothe
atmospherewithinaone-hourperiodfiftyormoreballoonswhichare(i)madeofa
nonbiodegradableornonphotodegradablematerialoranymaterialwhichrequiresmore
thanfiveminutes'contactwithairorwatertodegradeand(ii)inflatedwithasubstance
whichislighterthanair.Anypersonwhoviolatesthissectionshallbeliableforacivil
penaltynottoexceedfivedollarsperballoonreleasedabovetheallowablelimit,whichshall
bepaidintotheLifetimeHuntingandFishingEndowmentFundestablishedpursuantto§
29.1-101.1.
B.Theprovisionsofthissectionshallnotapplyto(i)balloonsreleasedbyoronbehalfofany
agencyoftheCommonwealth,ortheUnitedStatesorpursuanttoacontractwiththe
Commonwealth,theUnitedStates,oranyotherstate,territoryorgovernmentforscientific
ormeteorologicalpurposesor(ii)hotairballoonsthatarerecoveredafterlaunch.(1991,c.
607.)
MARYLAND
In2004,theMarylandlegislatureconsidered,butdidnotpassthefollowingbill(HouseBill
1029)
18
ANACTconcerning
CriminalLaw-Large-ScaleBalloonRelease-Penalty
FORthepurposeofprohibitingapersonfromknowinglyreleasingorcausingtobereleased
intheoutdoorsacertainnumberofcertainballoonsaspartofapublicorcivicevent,
promotionalactivity,orproductadvertisement;establishingacertainpenaltyforaviolation
ofthisAct;andgenerallyrelatingtotheprohibitionagainstalarge-scaleballoonrelease.
SECTION1.BEITENACTEDBYTHEGENERALASSEMBLYOFMARYLAND,ThattheLawsof
Marylandreadasfollows:
Article-CriminalLaw
(A)APERSONMAYNOTKNOWINGLYRELEASEORCAUSETOBERELEASEDINTHE
OUTDOORS20ORMOREBALLOONSTHATAREFILLEDWITHAGASLIGHTERTHANAIRAS
PARTOFAPUBLICORCIVICEVENT,ROMOTIONALACTIVITY,ORPRODUCTADVERTISEMENT.
(B)APERSONWHOVIOLATESTHISSECTIONISGUILTYOFAMISDEMEANORANDON
CONVICTIONISSUBJECTTOAFINENOTEXCEEDING$500.
SECTION2.ANDBEITFURTHERENACTED,ThatthisActshalltakeeffectOctober1,2004.
(NOTE:BILLDIDNOTPASS,ANDISNOTINEFFECTASOFJULY2004)”(CleanVirginia
Waterways,n.d.)
*TakenfromCleanVirginiaWaterways,formoreinformationregardingballoonreleaselawsintheUS
gotohttp://www.longwood.edu/cleanva/BalloonLaws.html
MicroplasticsMicroplasticsandmicrofibersarebecominganimportantpartofmarinedebrisresearch.These
smallfragmentsofplasticorplasticpelletscanbeingestedbyfilterfeeders,suchasmollusks,baleen
whales,andcopepods(Smith,2014).Therearealargeamountoftoxiccompoundsusedtomake
plastics;plasticsalsohavetheabilitytoabsorborganiccontaminantslikeDDTandPCBsintheocean.
Researchisshowingabioaccumulationofthesechemicalsupthefoodchain,indicatingthateven
humansareingestingpossiblyharmfulpersistentorganicpollutantsthatcouldcauseendocrine
disruption,mutagenicity,andcarcinogenicity(Smith,2014).
Microplasticsentertheoceaninvariousways,includingaccidentalspillageofsmallplasticresinpellets
usedinfabricatingplasticproducts,referredtoas“nurdles”,andthefragmentationoflargeplastic
itemsintosmallerpiecesovertime(Smith,2014).Microbeadsfoundincosmeticfacialscrubsanddental
whitenersarealsoahugesourceofmicroplasticpollutioninthewater.
MARYLAND
Inthespringof2015,MarylandsignedintolawHB216.Thelawbansplasticmicrobeadsas
aningredientinpersonalcareproducts,requiringmanufacturerstophaseouttheuseof
plasticmicrobeadsby2018andbansthesaleofproductscontainingthembytheendof
19
2019.Marylandpassedthislawbeforethenationalmicrobeadsbanpassedin2015
(Lawson,2015).
*FormoreonMaryland’smicrobeadsbangotohttps://trashfreemaryland.org
MicrobeadFreeWatersActof2015 In2015,congresspassedabilltoamendtheFederalFood,Drug,andCosmeticActtoprohibit
themanufacturingandproductionofrinse-offcosmeticscontainingmicrobeads,includingtoothpaste.
ThebanonmanufacturingmicrobeadcontainingcosmeticsbeginsJuly1,2017andthebanon
distributionbeginsJanuary1,2018.Cosmeticsthatareoverthecounterdrugsaregrantedanextrayear
fortransition(https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/1321).
Manypeoplebelievethattheresultofthisbillwillsolvetheissueofmicroplastics,however
microbeadsmakeuponlyasmallproportionofmicroplasticsintheocean.Therearemanyother
sourcesofmicroplastics,suchasthosementionedabove,thatcouldhavegraveimpactsonthe
environmentandnumerouscommerciallyvaluablespeciesoffishandmollusks.
Appendix(A)liststhelocationofPlasticsIndustryTradeAssociationmemberswithheadquarters
inMARCOstates.Therearecountlessothersmallplasticfabricationandmanufacturingplantsinthe
Mid-AtlanticwhichcanbeaccessedonthePlasticsIndustryTradeAssociationsupplierwebsite.
DerelictFishingGearInadditiontotheconsumerdebrisitemsdiscussedabove,thereareothersourcesofmarinedebrissuch
asderelictfishinggear.DerelictfishinggearisaformofmarinedebrisimpactingtheMARCO
watershed–especiallyderelictcrabpots.
TheChesapeakeBayishometothe
largestbluecrabfisheryinthecountry.
Therearethousandsofactivepotsayear
thatbringmillionsofdollarsofrevenueto
thearea.Whenpotlinesareseveredby
boatpropellersorlosetheirbuoysthey
becomederelictbutcontinuetofish.In
recentresearchscientistsattheVirginia
InstituteforMarineScience(VIMS)found
anaverageof28-75derelictbluecrab
trapsperkilometersquaredinthe
Chesapeake(HavensK.,Bilkovic,
Angstadt,&Hershner,2008).The
negativeimpactsofthesetrapsinclude
thecatchof33differentspeciesofnon-
targetanimalsincludingtheendangered
diamondbackterrapin,oystertoadfish,Atlanticcroaker,blackseabass,Americaneel,whiteperch,and
catfish.Thefisherylosesalargeproportionofharvestablecatch,estimatedat900thousandbluecrabs,
Figure2
Deadbluecrabsanddiamondbackterrapinsareoftenfoundinderelict
fishinggear(HavensK.,Bilkovic,Stanhope,&Angstadt,2011).
20
averaging18-20bluecrabspertrapperyear,possiblycostingthefisherycloseto300,000inrevenueper
season(HavensK.,Bilkovic,Stanhope,&Angstadt,2011).Anotherimpactofderelicttrapsishabitat
degradation.Trapscangettossedinstormsanddragalongthebottomdamagingfragilebenthichabitat
(Havensetal.,2008).
NOAAMid-AtlanticMarineDebrisReductionWorkshopInmid-Juneof2015,theNOAAMarineDebrisProgramgatheredscientistsandmanagersfrom
Delaware,D.C.,Virginia,andMarylandtodiscussthefutureofmarinedebrismanagementintheregion
(NationalOceanicandAtmosphericAdministrationMarineDebrisProgram,2015).Attheworkshop
scientistssharedtheirresearchonmarinedebrisanddiscussedgoalsandstrategiestomanageanarray
ofmarinedebristypes.Derelictfishinggearandconsumerdebriswerebothofhighconcern.Asa
group,participantsbrainstormedgoals,objectivesandstrategiesforeachoffivedebriscategories
(derelictfishinggear,wildlifehabitatimpacts,abandonedorderelictvessels,consumerdebris,and
emergencyresponsetodebris).Workshopparticipantsalsolearnedaboutthegoalsandstrategies
foundintheVirginiaMarineDebrisReductionPlan.Whencomplete,thisplan,thefirstontheEast
Coast,mayserveasamodelortemplateforotherstatesandmaybeexpandedtoincludeNewYorkand
NewJersey.Belowisacompilationofmajorthemesfromtheworkshopdiscussionsaboutderelictgear
andconsumerdebris:
DerelictFishingGear Whofromtheregionisinvolved?
• KirkHavens,VirginiaInstituteofMarineScience
• MattOgburn,SmithsonianEnvironmentalResearchCenter
• WardSlacum,OysterRecoveryPartnership
• DonnaBilkovic,VirginiaInstituteofMarineScience
• Allscientistsareworkingonavarietyofdifferentderelicttrapissueslikenew
technologiesfordoorsandeconomicanalysis.
Goals• Anassessmentoftheentireregionsderelictpotissuesincludingeconomicanalysis
• Reducingimpactsofderelicttrapsbyfocusingoncullingrings
• ReachapercentreductionofimpactsofderelictBlueCrabtraps
• Preventlostgear
• CleanupexistingDFG
UnaddressedIssues• Includingrecreationalgear
• Noresearchonocean-sidetraps
• Howtodecreaseimpactsbeforeastorm
2-5YearStrategies• Educaterecreationalboatersthroughinformalandformaltraining
• Researchandimplementtechnologiesforexcludingdevicesanddoorreleases
• Enforceacrabbingseason
• Removepotsinhotspotareas
• Findlowcostoptionsfordisposalofoldpots
• Rewardpotaccountabilitywithadepositprogram
21
• Collaboratewithwatermen
ConsumerDebrisWhofromtheregionisinvolved?
• InternationalCoastalCleanup-coastalcleanupandmarketing(app)
• CleanVirginiaWaterways-ButtsandBalloons
• TrashFreeMD-Politicsandregulationreform
• BoatU.S.Foundation-Fishinglinecollection
• DCDepartmentofEnvironment-TMDL
• HealthyHarbor-WaterwheelinBaltimore
• VirginiaCoastalZoneManagement-MarineDebrisReductionPlan
• NationalAquarium-Animalentanglement
• ChesapeakeBayFoundation
• AmericanLittoralSociety
• MarineDefenders-NJ
• CleanOceanAction
• CleanMarina
• VirginiaAquarium&MarineScienceCenter
• KeepVirginiaBeautiful
• VirginiaDepartmentofEnvironmentalQuality
• MarylandDepartmentofNaturalResources
• DelawareDepartmentofNaturalResourcesandEnvironmentalControl
• ManyothergovernmentagenciesandNGOs
Goals• Eliminatesingleuse,disposableplasticpackaging
• Educateunderservedcommunities
• Targetedmessaging
• Increasedconsumerdebrislegislation
• Reduceconsumerdebris
• Sustainedbehaviorchange
• Limitwastegeneration
UnaddressedIssues• Microplastics
• Recyclinginnovations
2-5YearStrategies• Socialmarketingtochangebehavior
• Creatingmoreincentives
• Enforcefinesforlittering
• Broadeneducationaboutrecycling
• Strategicwastedisposalactions
• Focusonrefusingtheuseofplastic
• Publicizethegoodworkbeingdonebythegoodguys
• Voluntarysystematicchangeinindustry
• Tapintofunding–Cleanwaterstaterevolvingfund
• Maintainandinstalltrashtraps
• Tapintobusinessmarketingthatwillhelptheirbusinesstoo
22
Attheendoftheworkshopthegrouphighlightedoverarchinggoalsandstrategiesthatincluded:
1. Usingmarketingandeducationtochangepeople’sbehaviorsandreducetheamountof
consumerdebrisenteringtheoceanthroughlandbasedsources.Scientistmustunderstand
socialissuesandbehaviorpatternstocreatefocusedandeffectivemarketingstrategies.
2. Microplastics,thoughafairlynewtrendinresearch,stillhasmanyunansweredquestionsand
needsincreasedattention.
3. Targetededucationofrecreationalboaterstoreduceoccurrenceofseveredbuoylinesand
decreasethenumberofderelicttraps.
4. Researchoninnovationsforderelictpotbycatchreductiondevicesiscrucialfordecreased
environmentalimpactsofderelicttraps.
5. CreateaplantorespondtoandpreventmarinedebrisemergencieslikeSuperStormSandy.
ItisimportantforMARCOtocontinueinvolvementintheNOAAMarineDebrisProgrambecauseit
willfosterregionalpartnershipsandcreatefundingopportunitiesforfuturewaterqualityandmarine
debrisinitiatives.Marinedebrismanagementandresearchisapopularenvironmentaltopicamongthe
generalpublic;gettinginvolvedwithmarinedebriscouldhelppublicizeotherimportantactionstaken
byMARCO.
Conclusions
Itisimportanttonotethatthisdocumentprovidesasnapshotofmarinedebrisissuesand
initiativesoccurringinMARCO’sfivestateregion.TheICCdatausedtoestimateregionaltrendsoverthe
pastsevenyearsiscitizensciencewhichcanbehighlyvariable.Thatbeingsaidthedataarestill
informativeandabletosuggestkeytrendsindebrisstatusovertheyears.
ItisbecomingincreasinglyapparentthatnationaleffortssuchastheICCandNOAAMarine
DebrisProgramneedtobepairedwithregionalmarinedebrisprevention,education,research,and
outreachcoordinationtomakelargerimpactsonmarinedebrisreduction.MARCOisuniquelyqualified
tobecomealeaderofmarinedebrisreductioninitiativesintheMid-Atlanticregionbecauseofthe
ongoingstate,federal,andtribalcommunicationforumthatcurrentlyexists,aswellasMARCO’s
dedicatedstakeholderengagementpriorities.Amarinedebrisprojectfocusedoneducationand
outreachand/orinconveningexpertsfromallaspectsandperspectivesofthetopicmatterwillprovide
muchneededpublicexposureandgiveMARCOanopportunitytoincreaseexpertiseinotheraspectsof
oceanscience.
GapsinInformation
MARCOsoughtexpertisefromOceanConservancyrepresentativesAllisonSchuttes,TrashFree
Seasprogrammanager,andSarahCooley,scienceoutreachmanagerandTrashFreeSeasCoordinator,
togainabetterunderstandingofgapsininformationandknowledgeintheMid-Atlanticregion.
Microplasticreductionresearchandoutreachemergedinthisconversationasanincreasinglyimportant
23
andunderstudiedtopic.Furthermore,therearelargegapsinscientificunderstandingofhow
mircoplasticsareaffectingtheocean.
ProjectIdeas
• FocusonOceanStewardshipforRecreationalBoaters
o Fishinggearandline-linktooceanplanning-userconflicts
o CreatearegionaloutreachcampaignwithtargetedmessagingsimilartowhatVirginiais
doingwithballoons
o Introducenewregionalsignage
o Determineawaytomeasurechangesinbehavior
o PartnerwithBoatUS
o ExpanduponprojectsNOAAisalreadyconductinginNYandNJwithfishinggear
• Designaregionalsocialmarketingcampaign
o researchandimplementasocialmarketingcampaignaimedtoreduceconsumer
plasticsinbeachtownsandcoastalurbanareaswithhighpopulationdensities
o Thesamecampaignandimagesreflectedthroughtheentireregionwillmakethe
campaignmorenoticeableandunderstood
• Encouragemonitoringformicroplasticswithresearchandthecreationofregionalmicroplastic
waterstandards
• Designastudythatlooksathowmarinedebrisaffectsthetourismindustryinthemid-Atlantic
o ThismightnotbeapplicablebecausemanyofthebeachesintheMid-Atlanticare
combeddailytoremovedebrisfortourists;however,sincetourismissuchahugepart
oftheeconomyintheregionitcouldbeaneye-openingstudy
24
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Wilcox,C.,VanSebille,E.,&Hardesty,B.D.(2015).Threatofplasticpollutiontoseabirdsisglobal,
pervasive,andincreasing.ProceedingsoftheNationalAcademyofSciences.
AppendixA.PlasticIndustryTradeAssociationMembersoftheMid-Atlantic
27
PlasticsIndustryTradeAssociation
1425KStreetNorthwest#500
Washington,DC20005
RigidPlasticsPackagingGroup
BerryPlastics
7447CandlewoodRd
Hanover,MD21076
KlocknerPentaplast
3585KlocknerRd
Gordonsville,VA22942
EastmanSpecialtiesCorporation
10380WortonRd
Chestertown,MD21620
Food,Drug,andCosmeticPackagingMaterialsCommitteeMembers
BASFCorporation
205SJamesSt
Newport,DE19804
DuPont
974CentreRoadChestnutRunPlaza
Wilmington,DE19805
EastmanSpecialtiesCorporation
10380WortonRd
Chestertown,MD21620
Material/ResinSuppliers:
BASFCorporation
DuPont
ExxonMobilChemical
2195NJ-27
Edison,NJ08817
KurehaAmericaInc.
420LexingtonAve#2510
NewYork,NY10170
PackagingConvertersandUsers:
BerryPlastics
PepsiCo
700AndersonHillRd
Purchase,NY10577
SCJohnson
Rahway,NJ07065FBD
FlexibleFilmandBagDivisionCommittee
HeritageBag
2321HighHillRd
Swedesboro,NJ08085
S.C.Johnson
SigmaPlastics
PageAve
Lyndhurst,NJ07071
TrexCompany
402-480McGheeRd
Winchester,VA22603
ResinandAdditiveSuppliers:
RutanPoly
39SidingPl
Mahwah,NJ07430
KurehaAmerica
Processors:
BerryPlastics
HeritageBag
S.C.Johnson
SigmaPlastics
Trex
PharmaceuticalandMedicalDeviceApplicationsCommittee
BASF
AppendixA.PlasticIndustryTradeAssociationMembersoftheMid-Atlantic
28
BerryPlastics
DuPont
EastmanChemical
ITWMedical
ExxonMobil
http://www.plasticsindustry.org/
AppendixB.FundingOpportunities
29
FundingOrganization
Timeline Overview/Description Funding AdditionalComments
NOAA-CommunityBasedMarineDebrisRemoval
Soon-applicationwindowendsinNovember60daywindow
Fundingthatsupportslocallydriven,community-basedmarinedebrispreventionandremovalprojects.Theseprojectsbenefitcoastalhabitat,waterways,andwildlifeincludingmigratoryfish.
1millionforthewholeopportunity-alluscoastandpacificislandprojector2ineachregiongenerally100-200K
Unlesswehavealargeitemwewanttoremove,thenthiswon’tbeagoodgranttotryfor
NOAA-MarineDebrisPrevention,Education,andOutreachPartnership
BeginningofSeptember-Fall
Fundingtosupportactivitiestoeducatethepublicabouttheissueofmarinedebristhat:1)encouragechangesinbehaviortoreduceandaddressmarinedebris;2)developandimplementactivitiestoreduceandpreventmarinedebrisworkingwithstudents,teachers,industries,andthepublic,and,3)engagethepublicinactive,personalparticipation(e.g.asmall-scaleshorelinecleanupwithstudentsorotherhands-onactivities,etc.).Thisgrant’spurposeistoinvolveaudiencesinmeasurablebehaviorchangingactivitiesandlimittheincreaseofmarinedebrisintheworld'soceans.
smallerdollaramounts20-50Kaverage10to12projectsacrossthecountry
10%successrate
NOAA-MarineDebrisResearch
Suspectstherewillbebutdoesn’tknowwhen
Fundingfororiginal,hypothesis-drivenresearchprojectsfocusedonthepersistenceandchemicalimpactsofmarinedebris
NFWF/NOAA-FishingforEnergy
Spring Disposalopportunities:providecollectionbinsatstrategicportsforcommercialfishermentounloadgear;Regulation:collaboratewithstatemanagerstoaddresslegalimpedimentsofderelictfishinggearremoval;TechnologicalInnovation:identify,test,anddeployinnovationstoaddressaccidentalintroductionofderelictfishinggearintothemarineenvironmentandinnovationstoreducetheeffectivenessofgearoncelost;and,OutreachandEducation:educatethepublicabouttheimpactsofderelictfishinggearandFishingforEnergyinitiativestomakemeasurablechange.
recentlyawarded4-lesspredictable20-50Kfishinggearorpracticesrelated
AppendixB.FundingOpportunities
30
EPA-PollutionPrevention(P2)
Spring Grants/cooperativeagreementsthatimplementpollutionpreventiontechnicalassistanceservicesand/ortrainingforbusinessesandsupportprojectsthatutilizepollutionpreventiontechniquestoreduceand/oreliminatepollutionfromair,waterand/orland.
EPA-CleanWaterStateRevolvingFund
Ongoing Programsprovided,onaverage,morethan$5billionannuallytofundwaterqualityprotectionprojectsforwastewatertreatment,nonpointsourcepollutioncontrol,andwatershedandestuarymanagement
EPA-EnvironmentalEducation
EarlyWinter/Spring
Supportenvironmentaleducationprojectsthatpromoteenvironmentalawarenessandstewardshipandhelpprovidepeoplewiththeskillstotakeresponsibleactionstoprotecttheenvironment.Thisgrantprogramprovidesfinancialsupportforprojectsthatdesign,demonstrate,and/ordisseminateenvironmentaleducationpractices,methods,ortechniques.
EPA-TrashFreeWaters
Ongoing Federal-StatePartnershipthathelpsconquerthatwaterquality
