THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, September 20, 1996 TAG: 9609190154
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 05 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
LENGTH: 41 lines
Scuba divers and snorkelers will gather Saturday at First Landing/ Seashore State Park to remove underwater trash from the Chesapeake Bay.
The cleanup, sponsored by the Save the Bay Foundation and coordinated by local dive shops and scuba clubs, will begin at 8 a.m. and run through the early afternoon.
Divers must have scuba certification to participate in the underwater portion of the cleanup. Snorkelers will be able to assist in shallower areas.
Dan's Dive Center, at 4973 Cleveland St., is offering free air fills and free rental tanks to participants. Tanks can be filled or picked up through the day Friday, or after 7 a.m. Saturday.
Divers should check in at the park boat ramp, past the 64th Street entrance.
The volunteers hope to remove ``old tires, lots of cans, soda cans, plastic bags, that sort of junk,'' said Dan Jeffries, of Dan's Dive Center, who has worked on the project in past years.
``They'll have to be certified in order to dive on scuba tanks,'' he said, but non-divers are ``welcome to snorkel and get stuff floating in the shallows or on shore.''
Divers from the Sea-Trek Dive Club and Mid-Atlantic Dive Club are helping to organize the event, Jeffries said.
In addition, another area cleanup is scheduled for Saturday.
Fallen trees that have blocked sections of West Neck Creek will be removed as part of this year's International Coastal Clean Up. Canoeists and johnboat operators are needed to assist with the work. Also needed are chain saws and ropes as well as operators and helpers.
The launch site is Doziers Bridge on Princess Anne Road just west of Seaboard Road. Participants will gather at 8:30 a.m. and launch at 9.
The work is hard and dirty. Volunteers should wear boots and gloves and bring water and a snack. They will be lifting fallen trees from the waterway, cutting them into sections and removing them to beyond the floodplain.
For information on the West Neck Creek project, call Robert Dean at 427-6606 or Lillie Gilbert at 431-8566. by CNB