City to remove trash from Kailua beach cleanup

Crews from the city Department of Parks and Recreation are expected today to remove nets, plastics and other debris that have been washing ashore in the vicinity of Kalama Beach Park and the “89A” Kailuana Beach right of way in recent days.

Kailua Beach visitors, neighbors and volunteers from the nonprofit 808 Cleanups have been combing the beach along the north end of Kailua Bay, collecting debris of varying sizes and materials and placing them into piles as far away from the water as possible.

Garbage receptacles at both Kalama and the Kailuana right of way, a public pedestrian lane that leads to the unofficial Castle’s Beach, were filled.

The scope of the city’s cleanup effort today had not been determined, city parks spokesman Nathan Serota said in an email. “Currently, our crews will be focused on removing the bulk debris that has accumulated within our beach parks and beach right of ways,” he said.

The city does own sand-cleaning machines called Cherringtons that are used at some beaches, Serota said. But such machines are not suited for the Kailua area because of transportation and other logistical difficulties. A beach must be closed for the machine to be used and Castle’s is not a formal city beach park, and therefore does not have designated closure hours, he said.

Michael David Loftin, 808 Cleanups co-founder, said about a dozen volunteers helped with debris removal both Tuesday and Wednesday.

Like others, Loftin said the amount of debris on the beach was the worst he’s seen at that shoreline. “Different spots at Kailua will get the nets or get the plastics, but I’ve never seen both at this location and all up and down the Windward Coast this amount at one time,” he said. “It’s truly incredible.”

The volunteers picked up “easily more than a thousand pounds” of debris, almost half of which comprised nets, traps and other commercial fishing-related items, he said.

Loftin said he and others will be back at the beach from about 12:30 p.m. today. Go to the 808 Cleanups Facebook page for more information.