Pasco conducts successful World Oceans Day clean-up

NEW PORT RICHEY — The first Keep Pasco Beautiful World Oceans Day clean-up event in two county locations has been touted as a success by Pasco officials, as volunteers collected nearly 1,500 pounds of trash.

The June event sent volunteers into the Anclote Gulf Park in Holiday and the Cypress Creek Preserve in Land O’Lakes. There, they combed the roadways and shoreline removing everything from televisions and sofa cushions to car bumpers and tires.

“Trash along the roadways ends up in the stormwater system, which ultimately leads to the Gulf,” said Keep Pasco Beautiful Coordinator Kristen King. “We live in an amazing place and we all have to do our part to protect it.”

The event brought in 1,460 pounds of trash with 59 volunteers logging in 118 volunteer hours. Pasco County has more than 20 miles of coastline along the Gulf of Mexico. In Central and East Pasco, there are several watersheds that lead to Tampa Bay and various rivers.

Keep Pasco Beautiful, along with Pasco County Public Works, Solid Waste, Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources and Covanta Pasco, organized the event.