$15M sought for tsunami debris cleanup

An Alaska senator wants $15 million for tsunami debris cleanup included in a federal disaster relief package for states affected by superstorm Sandy.

Sen. Mark Begich said it’s embarrassing that the government of Japan has put more funding toward the debris cleanup than the U.S. government has. He said the impact of debris from the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan reaching U.S. shores is as much a natural disaster as a hurricane, drought or wildfire — it’s just unfolding in slow motion.

"We have to recognize that it’s different than any other type of disaster because if it’s like Sandy, you see it; it’s right there in your face, everything at once," he said. "And in this situation it’s kind of like climate change. Things don’t happen overnight, they happen over a period of time, and when it happens and accumulates, you look back and say, ‘Why didn’t we do something?’

"We have that option right now to do something," Begich said.

Japan has pledged $5 million for tsunami debris cleanup, more than the entire National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration budget for dealing with marine debris in general in fiscal year 2012. Begich said he considers a 3-to-1 match of the Japa­nese funding "the very least" the federal government can do to help cleanup efforts in Alaska, Hawaii, California, Oregon and Washington.

It’s not clear just how quickly Congress will take up the aid package, or how big it might be. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Daniel Ino­uye, D-Hawaii, said he hasn’t taken a position yet on how much money may be needed for debris cleanup. "There are significant discussions yet to be had, but I agree that there is a need for funds to help mitigate the effects of tsunami debris impacting our shores," he said in a statement.

Some states haven’t yet used their $50,000 grants provided by NOAA earlier this year. In Washington state, for example, after seeing an increase in debris from May through July, officials say things have quieted down, and the state’s plan for dealing with the debris calls for conserving resources where possible. NOAA announced the grants to the five West Coast states in July.

In Alaska the grant’s gone, having gone toward cleanup along 25 miles out of about 2,500 in the state before the weather turned too nasty for crews to be out. The work was done by Gulf of Alaska Keeper, which is dedicated to cleaning marine debris from the Alaska coastline. Monitoring by the group found a huge jump in the weight of debris found at four sites it regularly visits.

"It’s just devastating, just sick," said the group’s president, Chris Pallister, who worries about the impact of the debris on fish and wildlife.

Tsunami debris is difficult to monitor, given that debris can break up and winds and ocean currents consistently change. And it’s tough to distinguish it from the everyday debris that has been an ongoing problem for coastal communities for years. Just 16 items from among more than 1,400 reports have been firmly traced to the tsunami, including a small boat found recently in the northwest Hawaiian islands.

The Japanese government estimated that 1.5 million tons of debris was floating in the ocean in the immediate aftermath of the tsunami, but it’s not clear how much is still floating nearly two years on or just what will reach U.S. shores, when.

NOAA estimates the bulk of what is coming either has arrived or will in the next year or so — but that’s a rough guess. The Japa­nese government last month predicted the most buoyant debris, such as buoys that littered some Alaska beaches earlier this year, has already arrived. Lumber from houses and boats is expected to begin reaching the West Coast around this month, and mostly submerged debris, like driftwood or waterlogged lumber, is expected around June.

In Hawaii a boat recovered Dec. 1 from Kahana Bay was the fourth confirmed Japan tsunami debris to wash ashore, the Department of Land and Natural Resources said Friday.

The 20-foot boat was first seen floating in the bay Nov. 29. By the next afternoon it had broken into pieces on rocks. DLNR said it was able to retrieve pieces of the boat, which had some identifying information including Japa­nese characters on a section of the bow and Japa­nese registration numbers on pieces of the stern. The department said radiation testing was conducted and nothing above normal was found.

In recent months, several other large pieces of debris have washed ashore or been found in nearshore Hawaii waters, including a 20-foot skiff, a concrete floating boat dock and a 4-foot-tall blue bin.

The DLNR has asked residents to report suspected tsunami debris, noting where it was sighted, what it looked like and what kind of organisms were on it. Reports can be called in at 587-0400 or emailed to dlnr.marine.debris@hawaii.gov.

Those reporting debris should take a photo of it if possible and leave their contact information.

Call 911, however, to report hazardous materials, including fuel tanks, gas tanks or similar items.