An important note from Mitch Perry:
Although there are no immediate concerns about the massive oil spill in the Gulf invading the west coast of Florida, Pinellas County officials are taking no chances in preparing for the worst case scenario.
The local anti-litter group Keep Pinellas Beautiful is looking for at least 2,000 volunteers to help in such efforts. Though there is no specific date set, those who want to register for the Special Beach Cleanup can log on to pinvol.org. Organizers say that removing litter ahead of any potential landfall would help speed cleanup efforts by reducing the amount of potentially contaminated material, remediation time, cost and human exposure to harmful materials.
According to Bill Sanders, executive director of Keep Pinellas Beautiful, “Our goal is to clean up every inch of the Pinellas County coastline, including the outer islands.”
The County also has a website for other volunteer opportunities (such as coastline watcher or bird counter. To register for that, go to www.pinellascounty.org/oilspill2010.htm and select Volunteer Opportunities.
