Did You Know? Clean Your Streams is the largest cleanup opportunity in Ohio that contributes marine debris data to the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) database? Last month, Program Coordinator Kayla, was invited to Ocean Conservancy’s first ever International Coastal Cleanup Partner Fly-in to represent Partners for Clean Streams!

Some highlights from her trip include getting to meet an amazing group of ICC partners from across the country!! From Team Atlantic they had Blue Ocean Society, Save the Bay (Rhode Island), and the Rozalia Project. Team Great Lakes had Alliance for the Great Lakes, Milwaukee Riverkeeper and Partners for Clean Streams (PCS). Finally, Team Pacific brought along Save Our Shores (Santa Cruz) & Puget Soundkeeper. Kayla also enjoyed connecting with many wonderful staff at Ocean Conservancy!

On Capitol Hill, The OC and ICC Partner Team advocated for the co-sponsorship of the Farewell to Foam Act (S. 3440/H.R. 6654) and to fully fund the NOAA Marine Debris Program at $15 million for FY25 appropriations.

What is the Farewell to Foam Act?

According to the Ocean Conservancy, this act phases out and ultimately bans the sale or distribution of expanded polystyrene foam service-ware, loose fill (e.g., packing peanuts), and disposable foam coolers beginning in 2026.

• 12 states and D.C. have passed bans on plastic foam foodware, similar to the Farewell to Foam Act, since 2014. FYI- Ohio is not currently on this list!
  • Maryland, the first state to pass a ban, saw a 65% decline in the amount of plastic foam foodware collected during the International Coastal Cleanup.
• If you are wondering how PCS plays into this… 48,977 foam foodware items such as foam cups, plates and take-away containers… 28,627 plastic and/or foam packaging and foam dock pieces… and 108,196 small foam pieces (<2.5 cm in size) have been cleaned up by Ohioans as of 2022!!

What about the NOAA Marine Debris Program Discussions?

In 2020, the bipartisan Save Our Seas (SOS) 2.0 Act, passed by Unanimous Consent. This act strengthened the pre-existing Marine Debris Program, increasing the authorized level to $15 million to help with research, prevention, removal, monitoring and detection, and response to marine debris. OC and ICC Partners requested the full $15 million for FY25 appropriations. They also requested a separate, specific budget line item to be added within the President’s yearly budget request and within NOAA’s yearly budget justifications at an amount equal to or greater than the authorized $15 million (Ocean Conservancy).

• $15 million towards NOAA’s Marine Debris Program will benefit a wide range of groups, just like PCS, to complete marine debris programs/projects across the nation. The longer we keep producing plastics, the more critical it becomes to support programs such as the Marine Debris Program (Ocean Conservancy).

Partners used this fly-in opportunity to share their stories and the impact each of their organizations have made both regionally and nationally with Congress staff and other partners. Kayla specifically, got the chance to share the story of PCS and share stories of our very own volunteers and local partners to the offices of Washington Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL-10), Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09), Rep. Robin Kelly (D-IL-02), Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Michigan Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), Wisconsin Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI), and Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI). She also got the chance to meet the two original co-sponsors of the Farewell to Foam Act, Congressman Lloyd Doggett (TX) & Senator Chris Van Hollen (MD)! The full team also got the opportunity to share individual stories to Nancy Wallace and how the NOAA Marine Debris Program has benefited ICC groups over the years!

Kayla is extremely grateful to Ocean Conservancy for inviting her out to represent Partners for Clean Streams, as well as to the PCS Staff and Board of Directors for assisting her in preparation of this endeavor. Partners for Clean Streams looks forward to continuing our efforts for clean, clear and safe water for all, especially through the contribution of marine debris data collection.

July is known as “Plastic Free July”. This means throughout the month of July people across the world are either cutting back or cutting out single-use plastics in their everyday life to reduce the amount of plastic entering the environment.

Here are some ways you can participate in Plastic Free July according to the Alliance for the Great Lakes:

• Refuse single-use plastic items and encourage the use of reusable and refillable items such as using a refillable water bottle, utilizing reusable bags at the grocery store, opting for reusable containers instead of a plastic bag for food storage, and many other options.
• Recycle the plastic that you do have to use
• Help your community reduce their plastic use. Letting people know of water bottle fill up stations in the area, recognizing local establishments that have banned single-use plastic and polystyrene foam for cups and food containers.
• Join a cleanup! Join us during our Clean Your Streams 365 events held throughout the year.  Or take initiative to do a plastic clean-up whether it’s along the banks of waterways, in local parks, along the highway, or even in your own backyard.

You can also take the Plastic Free July challenge by the Plastic Free Foundation. You can sign up here and document your findings and stories that over 100 million participants worldwide have come together to share during their own cleanup efforts.

On Monday June 10^th, 13 BSA Scouts earned their Citizenship in the Community Merit badges after completing a day marking storm drains in Sylvania Township! Check out some pictures of them in action on our Facebook page!

This dedicated group of Scouts from the Erie Shores Council embarked on a meaningful community initiative. Their mission was to educate Sylvania residents about the importance of maintaining storm drains solely for rainwater by keeping them clear of various pollutants such as debris, leaves, grass clippings, oil, and even dog waste—ensuring that only rain flows into the drains.

PCS came together with these scouts and their troop leader, our very own Board President Bob Neubert, to complete an 8-hour day of engaging with and educating the community on stormwater! Throughout the day, these Scouts diligently stenciled a total of 398 catch basins across several neighborhoods. Additionally, they distributed over 1,450 educational door tags to households, providing essential information on how residents can contribute to cleaner waterways in their region.

Their efforts go beyond mere community service; they actively contribute to the preservation of our local water systems, reducing the impact of marine debris and pollution. Moreover, their involvement in this project contributes significantly to their personal development, as it serves as part of their journey towards earning the Citizenship in the Community merit badge—an achievement that recognizes their commitment to civic responsibility and environmental stewardship.

Through their hard work and dedication, these Scouts not only educate but also inspire positive change within their community, fostering a cleaner and healthier environment for all. Their initiative exemplifies the values of leadership, responsibility, and environmental awareness that are central to the scouting movement.

Thank you, Scouts, for furthering the PCS mission of clean, clear, and safe water for us all!

Welcome to our new summer intern, Antonia! Antonia earned her bachelor’s in Environmental Policy and Analysis at Bowling Green State University in 2023. She is currently working towards her master’s degree in public administration also at BGSU and is expected to graduate in spring 2025.

Antonia has spent her time volunteering and researching for nonprofit organizations during her time as a student and hopes to continue environmental advocacy post-graduation. She looks forward to broadening her horizon with PCS and helping to keep the local waterways as clean as possible. Learning more about nonprofit organizations and visiting the local natural areas has been one of the best experiences for her while joining our team.

Come out and join Antonia with one of our programs throughout the summertime!