Volunteers Pick Up Trash For Heal The Bay's Coastal Cleanup Day

SANTA MONICA (CBS) — More than 14,000 volunteers fanned out across Los Angeles County to collect more than 100,000 pounds of ocean-bound trash from watersheds on Heal the Bay's 21st annual Coastal Cleanup Day.

Braving the hot weather throughout Los Angeles, volunteers scoured beaches, inland waterways, regional parks and urban neighborhoods at more than 60 sites, covering 101 miles.

Urban runoff from more than 200 storm drains flowing out to Santa Monica and San Pedro bays causes the vast majority of local ocean pollution.

Sites in need of special attention this year included Dominguez Channel, Ken Malloy Harbor Regional Park, the Los Angeles River and Encino's Haskell Creek.

Heal the Bay's Coastal Cleanup campaigns have removed a total of 1.57 million pounds of trash since 1990.

Cigarette butts, plastic bottle caps and Styrofoam fragments are the most frequently found items at cleanups.

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