Residents chip in with creek cleanup

WHISTLE WHILE YOU WORK-Above, volunteers roll up their sleeves during a two-day creek cleanup aimed at removing debris from Dry Canyon and Las Virgenes creeks. Over 160 volunteers worked hard, carting away accummulated junk. Above right, the largest item found was an old car frame that had been in the creek bed so long that a tree was growing through it. Volunteers and Calabasas city staffers helped protect the beaches from pollution by pulling an old car frame, benches, water heaters, tires and tons of other trash from Dry Canyon and Las Virgenes creeks during two days of creek cleanup recently.

"More than 160 people participated in the two creek cleanup events," said Alex Farassati, Calabasas environmental services manager. "The most important trash to be removed from the creek was an old car frame that had been buried upside down on the creek bank behind A.E. Wright Middle School on Las Virgenes Road. . . . It had (probably) been there for more than 15 years because a tree had grown inside of it . . . Nobody had ever noticed it."

The city staffers and volunteers covered a distance of over three miles and pulled about 10 tons of trash from the creeks, according to Farassati.

"We haven't finished because there was so much trash," he said, "we're going to organize another" cleanup day. He hopes to do another event before the next rainy season.

Each year, the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors removes more than 4,500 tons of trash from local water areas. According to experts, pollution in the ocean is a major problem affecting Earth. When toxic waste harms ocean organisms, it can quickly be passed along the food chain, eventually ending up in seafood on the dinner table.

One pollutant commonly found in creeks and the ocean is the plastic ring device used to hold a sixpack of soda or beer. The device can get tangled around an animal's neck, causing strangulation.

Too much trash and toxic debris finds its way to local beaches, according to Calabasas City Councilmember Barry Groveman. The council is seeking ideas to keep local creeks and beaches clean.

At a recent council meeting, Melina Watts, Malibu Creek Watershed coordinator, applauded the city for its environmental awareness. She said the city needed to stop trash before it gets into the creeks. Filtration systems and creek cleanup days, while helpful, aren't always adequate because once pollutants are in the creeks or on the beaches, the damage to the environment has been done, she said. Watts suggested that people "pre-cycle" by not acquiring common pollutants in the first place. She said people could take their own drinking glasses to coffee shops or fast food restaurants, eliminating the need for disposable cups. She suggested drinking tap water instead of bottled water, which would cut down on the plastic bottles that end up in the creeks and oceans.

The city is now considering Watts' ideas as well as others in an effort to combat and eliminate trash and toxic debris. The council will discuss the topic at an upcoming meeting. View upcoming city council agendas at www.cityofcalabasas.com.