Venice Beach Trash Report: Navy St. to Rose Ave.

Approaching Navy St., at the northwest edge of Venice, California

Dateline: Thursday, April 6, 2017, late afternoon around 5 pm... I walked the beach near the water's edge from Navy St. to Rose Ave. to inspect the #beachtrash near the water's edge.  As usual as of late, there was an accumulation of #beachtrash left uncollected and/or disposed of by the Los Angeles County Dept. of Beaches & Harbors (aka, LACDBH).  No doubt some of this #beachtrash has been there for more than a day and probably longer since LACDBH does not daily or regularly hand pick up #beachtrash near the water's edge and which is otherwise not addressed by the large tractors and the rakes that they pull and which do not reach down to the water's edge.  LACDBH is aware of this, of course, but it still does not assign its staff to daily and/or regularly hand pick up #beachtrash between the berm and the water's edge, defying logic because this is the section of the beach where most of the beach going public congregates.

How difficult is it really to have a couple of LACDBH employees walk along the water's edge and hand pick up #beachtrash?!...  Answer: not difficult at all, especially since LACDBH has the resources to do so but simply chooses not to do so.

As a Los Angeles County resident and a member of the beach going public, this is a huge disappointment and in my personal opinion, a dereliction of duty on the part of LACDBH.

In any case, here are the photos of the #beachtrash that I took on this occasion...

Below, I placed this empty glass bottle up on the sand next to a piece of storm debris in the hopes that LACDBH might see it and pick it up and dispose of it...  Of source, if LACDBH only runs its tractor pulling a rake this bottle will most likely not get disposed of.

Historically, LACDBH has done an exceptional job of cleaning the beaches in Venice, including near the water's edge. The past several months, however, has revealed that LACDBH is not either daily or regularly hand picking and/or otherwise cleaning up and disposing of the significant daily accumulation of #beachtrash near the water's edge, and which represents a significant public health and safety risk.  This is my personal opinion anyways.  As an attorney licensed to practice law in the State of California, in good standing, for many years I am also of the opinion that L.A. County Counsel would agree with me that the failure to address this public health and safety risk represents a significant potential liability risk to Los Angeles County.  Not to mention that the collection and disposal of this #beachtrash near the water's edge is the right thing to do and is part and parcel to the Operating Agreement that LACDBH entered into with the State of California (Calif. State Parks).

It is hoped that LACDBH will once again daily and/or regularly (3 - 4 times per week) hand pick up the #beachtrash near the water's edge along this otherwise beautiful California State Beach.  I can't imagine that Calif. State Parks would expect anything less.  After all, rain or shine LACDBH collects parking fees at the beach parking lots...

Respectfully submitted,

William Maguire,
Los Angeles resident
Attorney at law

(All photos by & Copyright William Maguire 2017.)

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