Public concern is growing that debris pulled out to sea by the tsunami last March is heading toward the West Coast, and many have questions on everything from ghost ships to radioactive material. The best guess of oceanographers who study currents is that the bulk of this tsunami debris may arrive on the West Coast a year from now—in spring, 2013—but no one is certain of when or how much.
Several Oregon non-profit organizations that specialize in caring for the state’s shoreline and coping with litter are responding to the overwhelming volume of requests and questions from their volunteers and the public about the possible surge of tsunami-caused debris. These organizations (SOLVE, Surfrider Foundation, the CoastWatch program of the Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition, the Washed Ashore Project, in partnership with Oregon Sea Grant/OSU Extension) will be sponsoring a series of public information sessions featuring the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Marine Debris Program staff.
Key speaker will be Nir Barnea, West Coast regional coordinator for NOAA’s marine debris program. He will describe what is known about the contents and trajectory of the debris crossing the Pacific, and what is currently being done across the Pacific to prepare to deal with the debris.
The NOAA Marine Debris Program will be joined by individuals from the following invited organizations and agencies: U.S. Coast Guard, Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, Oregon Health Authority Public Health Division, County Emergency Managers, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, and county emergency managers. Local waste managers and coastal haulers have also been invited, given their likely important role in the disposal of much of the debris removed.
All events are free and open to all. After presentations, audience members will have a chance to ask questions about everything from public health to returning any personal valuables that may be found amid the debris.