Pacific Southwest, Region 9
Serving: Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Pacific Islands, 147 Tribes
Marine Debris
Marine Debris Strategy
- Introduction to the Pacific Southwest's Marine Debris program from the Regional Administrator (PDF) (1 pg, 111K)
- Marine Debris Strategy (Pacific Southwest)- A Regional Perspective: Cleanup, Prevention, and Reduction (PDF) (7 pp, 550K)
Marine Debris Resources
Region 9 Marine Debris Team
- Anna-Marie Cook (Cook.Anna-Marie@epa.gov)
(415) 972-3029 - Erica Yelensky (Yelensky.Erica@epa.gov)
(415) 972-3021 - Hudson Slay (Slay.Hudson@epa.gov)
(808) 541-2717
Source Reduction Grants
- EPA Pacific Southwest Region Awards Marine Debris Source Reduction Grants (PDF). (1pg, 267K)
- News Release: EPA Awards $214,000 to Reduce Sources of Ocean Pollution
- Two Source Reduction Grants Also Awarded Through San Francisco Bay Water Quality Improvement Fund -- See "Packaging Waste Source Reduction Pilot" and "Coyote Creek Trash Reduction Project"
Marine debris, a regional priority, recently released Source Reduction Request for Proposals.
Marine debris degrades ocean habitats, endangers marine and coastal wildlife, causes navigation hazards, results in economic losses to industry and governments, and threatens human health and safety. EPA Pacific Southwest (Region 9) is tapping existing programs and resources to advance the prevention, reduction and clean-up of marine debris in the North Pacific Ocean. EPA Pacific Southwest activities build upon specific recommendations of the Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee by targeting threats and sources of debris and responding to debris impacts. EPA is initiating a three-pronged effort to reduce sources of marine debris, prevent trash from entering the oceans, and assess the human and ecosystem impacts and potential for cleanup.
Marine Debris in the North Pacific
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Download the full report with references in PDF format:
Marine Debris in the North Pacific
A Summary of Existing Information and Identification of Data Gaps (PDF) November 2011 (23 pp, 700K) - Discussions about Marine Debris (podcasts)
Source Reduction
Appropriate management of wastes can prevent items, such as disposable plastic bags, from becoming marine debris. The California Coastal Commission found that plastic bags comprise 13.5% of shoreline litter; the City of Los Angeles found that plastic bags make up 25% of litter in storm drains.
More about EPA’s position on disposable bags:
- Does EPA support laws to ban or tax disposable bags?
- Are paper or plastic shopping bags better for the environment? How about reusable bags versus disposal bags?
Approaching Zero Trash
Stakeholders in both the Los Angeles River watershed and San Francisco Bay Area watershed have established timelines to reach a goal of zero trash entering the Pacific Ocean from stormwater runoff.
Learn more about approaching zero trash.
Marine Debris Strategy: Prevention, Reduction & Cleanup
Larger version of this chart (PDF) (1 pg, 900K)
This graphic's content in plain text
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