July 11, 2025 Breaking News, Latest News, and Videos

November Rain Flushes Eight Months Of Trash Onto Santa Monica Beach:

Santa Monica High School’s Team Marine removed more than 75 pounds of trash from the Pico-Kenter storm drain in November, preventing a small portion from entering the ocean. The majority of the trash was plastic.

This marks the fifth consecutive year that Team Marine has documented the flow of pollutants coming out of the storm drain and performed emergency clean ups.

Lighter rains caused two separate “gurgles” of the Pico-Kenter Storm drain, one on Nov. 8 and a bigger one Nov. 16. The gurgles lubricated the drains, dislodging plastic litter that had accumulated in the dry season and carrying some of it onto the sand in front of Shutters and Casa Del Mar hotels.

Upon heavier rains the morning of Nov. 29, the real “first flush” occurred, with water scouring a pathway through the sand to the ocean.

During the first flush, approximately eight months of stored plastic litter washed out into the Santa Monica Bay.

“Despite city bans on plastic grocery store bags and Styrofoam, we haven’t seen any major reduction over the years in the amount of plastic pieces flowing out of the storm drain,” said Edie Cote, co-captain of Team Marine.

Armed with supplies such as reusable gloves and buckets, Team Marine filled four 18-pound trash bags of debris.

The bulk of the litter was composed of plastic materials, such as single-use Styrofoam cups, utensils, straws, bags, and cigarette butts. An unidentified, beige “mystery foam” formed a blanket on top of the runoff leaving behind a frothy residue on the sand.

Meanwhile, Samohi’s Heal the Bay Surfrider Club’s weekly ocean water samples revealed an extreme spike in fecal indicator Enterococcus bacteria.

Co-president Sadie Schiffman-Eller said the Santa Monica Pier site had a concentration of 3,622 colony forming units of bacteria per 100 milliliters, when the safe level is 104 CFUs and lower.

“That’s 30 times over the healthy limit,” Schiffman-Eller said.

She said the ill effects of plastics are well known.

“Up to 95 percent of floating ocean debris is composed of plastics, which have accumulated in all five major oceans killing marine life through ingestion and entanglement,” she said.

Team Marine is an organization at Santa Monica High School dedicated to sound research and environmental advocacy.

in News
<>Related Posts

L.A. Louver Marks David Hockney’s 88th with Exhibit

July 11, 2025

July 11, 2025

Hockney, a British artist born in 1937, gained fame with the British Pop Art movement and later became known for...

Suspect Arrested in Shoe Retail Theft Spree Across LA County

July 11, 2025

July 11, 2025

During the search, police recovered two firearms and a significant quantity of merchandise The Los Angeles Police Department’s Organized Retail...

Suspect Arrested in Santa Monica Pier Arson Incidents

July 10, 2025

July 10, 2025

The suspect, matching video footage from an arcade, was taken into custody Santa Monica Police Department officers arrested a suspect...

SMPD Launch New Recruitment Website Amid High Vacancy Rates

July 10, 2025

July 10, 2025

The site features multimedia content, including day-in-the-life videos and officer profiles, highlighting the impact of serving the community The Santa...

Father-Daughter Authors to Host Book Signing to Aid Fire-Affected Women

July 10, 2025

July 10, 2025

Ten percent of proceeds from book and art sales will benefit the Pacific Palisades Rebuilding Fund, a nonprofit initiative created...

Metro Reports Crime Drop, Higher Rider Satisfaction, and Progress on Major Projects

July 9, 2025

July 9, 2025

The Authority said the drop in violent incidents—down to the lowest level since May 2019—coincided with more uniformed personnel and...

Santa Monica Joins Regional Lawsuit to Halt Unconstitutional ICE Raids

July 9, 2025

July 9, 2025

The motion to intervene seeks to ensure that Santa Monica and other plaintiff-intervenors can advocate for their residents’ rights in...

Promenade Restaurant Introduces Lunch Menu Set at $18 Per Person

July 9, 2025

July 9, 2025

The fixed $18 price point targets commuters and those seeking a power lunch or a change of scenery The restaurant...

Santa Monica Council Votes in Support of Park-Centric Future at Airport Site

July 9, 2025

July 9, 2025

The decision followed a contentious meeting with over 140 public speakers and more than 1,000 emails received by the council...

Housing for Health Chief Appointed to Lead Unified Homeless Services Department

July 9, 2025

July 9, 2025

Veteran Housing Advocate to Oversee Streamlined LA County Services The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday confirmed the...

‘Adoptapalooza’ Pet Adoption Festival Returns to Main Street This Weekend

July 9, 2025

July 9, 2025

The free, family-friendly event aims to connect adoptable animals with new owners Green Dog Dental & Veterinary Center will host...

Virtual Town Hall to Discuss Proposed Resilient Rebuilding Authority

July 9, 2025

July 9, 2025

The agency, to be run by political appointees, would manage permitting, development, zoning, and funding, modeled after post-disaster recoveries Los...

New Agenda Coaching: Changing Lives in LA

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

Students Work Toward Applied Success with Executive Function Coaching Services The demands of daily routines and studies sometimes bear weight...

Saint Monica Prep Students Win Award for Anti-Street Racing PSA Video

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

The winning public service announcement, titled “Not Worth It,” was highlighted in a post on X by @LADOTofficial  Students from...

Anti-Drunk Driving Resolution Introduced as City Council Honors Late Palisades Teen Killed in Crash

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

Levi, who was set to attend the University of Virginia this fall, was killed by a drunk driver on May...