Urge State Water Board to Get Tough on Trash

Trash is accumulating in California’s streams and rivers and on its beaches at an alarming rate.  Many waterbodies throughout the state are so clogged with trash that they are impacting wildlife, aquatic life and public health.  Some 15 trash pollution limits (“TMDLs”) are in place in the Los Angeles Region to help reduce the volume of trash heading to the ocean. And 111 jurisdictions in California have already taken action to pass plastic bag bans, and the State Legislature is currently considering a statewide ban. 

Now the State Water Board is hoping to complement these current efforts with its recently released Trash Policy.  The policy declares a statewide goal of no trash in California’s coastal waters, bays, rivers and lakes.  However, some charged with implementing the new policy are pressuring the State Water Board to weaken its provisions. We need a Trash Policy that holds each city and county responsible for trash reductions. A full overview of the board’s trash efforts can be found here.

We support trash-free streams, rivers and ocean. Let’s put California on the right path! The board will be voting on thew new Trash Policy on Aug. 5. Please submit the following letter by Friday, Aug. 1 to the Members of the State Water Resources Control Board, 1001 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95812-010. You can send a hard copy to the address above or email a copy to 

Dear State Water Board Members,

Thank you for developing a Trash Policy for California that explicitly states the goal of no trash in our waterways and includes a plan for municipalities to achieve this goal. A trash policy is long overdue for California, as millions of pounds of trash are released to our streams, rivers and ocean after each storm event and severely impact wildlife.  In general, I strongly support the Board’s proposed Trash Policy.  

The proposed Trash Policy is an important step forward to reduce the amount of trash in our waterways.  However, I am concerned that the current draft of the Trash Policy may be difficult to enforce. 

The State Water Board should hold municipalities accountable by compelling them to calculate the current amount of trash they release into the water, and then develop a method for calculating their trash reductions annually. 

In sum, I urge you to adopt a final Policy that requires a clear, straightforward path to compliance, and holds municipalities accountable for their trash pollution.  Thank you for your dedication to ensure that California’s waterways are safe from harmful trash pollution.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

Heal the Bay appreciates you taking the time to take direct action to protect what you love.