Washington receives $50 thousand grant for tsunami debris
Washington will receive a $50,000 grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to address the increase in marine debris along the coastal beaches.
Gov. Chris Gregoire said: “The state can’t address this situation alone. I’m pleased the federal government has recognized its responsibility to help our state with debris clean-up, and am confident this grant will support efforts already underway to keep our beaches and shellfish safe.”
The grant will be used to address marine debris along 375 miles of beaches, owned and managed by eight different landowners. These are the Hoh Indian Tribe, Makah Nation, Quileute Indian Tribe, Quinault Indian Nation, Shoalwater Bay Tribe, Olympic National Park, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission.
Of the $50,000:
- $19,000 will be used by the Department of Ecology’s Washington Conservation Corps to clean debris.
- $15,000 will help purchase supplies such as gloves and trash bags.
- $9,000 will pay for trash bin disposal, and hauling and disposing of large debris items.
- $7,000 will be used to buy equipment such as trash bins.
Ecology can use the federal money to pay for dispatching WCC crews to areas where the need for debris removal is greatest.
On July, Gov. Gregoire announced the release of $500,000 from the governor’s emergency fund to address the debris.
Ecology set aside $100,000 to help with the clean up. So far, $7,500 has been used to pay for dumpsters and waste collection bags.
Residents can report potentially hazardous debris 24-hours a day to Washington’s marine debris reporting line at 1-855-WACOAST (1-855-922-6278).
