Delmarva Coastal Clean-Up removes 31,000 pounds of trash

A woman’s wig, a BMX bicycle and a flag pole are among the more unusual items that were discovered during the recent Delmarva Coastal Clean-Up.

Volunteers picked up about 31,000 pounds of trash last month during the one-day clean-up effort targeting beaches and waterways in Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.  That’s well above last year’s collection of 19,000 pounds.  Environmental officials say Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee likely stirred up a lot of debris during the late summer.  Items most commonly discarded near the waterways include cigarette butts, cigar butts, beverage containers, and balloons.  Marine biologists say it’s especially important to keep balloons, ribbons and strings from making into the water because they are a threat to marine life.  A kitchen counter-top, car bumper, a keyboard and shotgun shells also turned up during the September clean-up, which drew over 2,700 volunteers at 50 sites.  Delmarva Power was the primary corporate sponsor.  The Coastal Cleanup is part of International Coastal Cleanup, sponsored by Ocean Conservancy.