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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 17, 2002

Source: Leslie Dorworth (219)989-2726; dorworth@calumet.purdue.edu

Volunteers to Clean Lake Michigan Beaches

URBANA--Cigarette butts, fishing line, diapers, six-pack rings, bottles, cans, syringes and tires--all are typical debris found on beaches. On Saturday, September 21, you have an opportunity to spend a few hours taking part in a worldwide coastal cleanup at a beach near you.

"Fishing line and other debris can get wrapped around fish fins or can be mistaken for food by birds and other animals," said Leslie Dorworth, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant aquatic ecology specialist, who will be the site captain at Washington Park in Michigan City, Indiana for this event. "This debris contaminates the lake water and can have a devastating and lethal effect on aquatic life."

The International Coastal Cleanup, sponsored by The Ocean Conservancy for the past 16 years, has mobilized 4.7 million volunteers worldwide. Last year, in Indiana over 150 volunteers, at nine Lake Michigan beaches, gathered 131 bags of trash that weighed in at 2,058 pounds.

The coastal cleanup goes from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. "In addition to protecting aquatic life, this effort can keep the lake safe for swimming, fishing and drinking," said Dorworth. "It's also a great opportunity to share a special day with family, friends or co-workers."

All the debris found that morning will be carefully listed on datacards. The cards are compiled, analyzed and tracked year by year. "This information can have an influence on public policy or can inspire individuals, organizations and communities to reexamine waste handling practices," said Dorworth.

In conjunction with the International Coastal Cleanup, Indiana Governor Frank O'Bannon has proclaimed the week of September 14-21 to be Lake Michigan Coast Week.

If you would like more information about the Washington Park coastal cleanup, contact Sea Grant's site captain, Leslie Dorworth at (219)989-2726 or dorworth@calumet.purdue.edu . For information about other Indiana cleanup sites, contact the Grand Calumet Task Force at (219)473-4246. For information about coastal cleanup plans in Illinois, contact Stephanie Smith at the Lake Michigan Federation at (312) 939-0838, ext. 5 or ssmith@lakemichigan.org.

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The Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant College Program is one of more than 30 National Sea Grant College Programs. Created by Congress in 1966, Sea Grant combines university, government, business and industry expertise to address coastal and Great Lakes needs. Funding is provided by the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U. S. Department of Commerce, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Purdue University at West Lafayette, Indiana.