HAMPTON, Va. (WAVY) — Local advocates in Hampton are worried about pollution and trash being left at Buckroe Beach now that the warm weather is here and the beaches are open.
Many people have emailed and sent pictures to 10 On Your Side showing what they have found along the beach.
Keeping the community clean is everyone’s responsibility and that is what advocates here at Buckroe Beach want to remind everyone before they leave — clean up your trash.
“We love our beach and we want to share our beach with other people,” said volunteer beach cleaner Pamela Moon.
But sharing means cleaning up after yourself, and volunteers do not believe that everyone is doing that at Buckroe Beach.
“During the offseason, it’s nice and clean, but as soon as it warms up the crowds come and the trash just accumulates. It accumulates faster than it’s getting picked up,” said Elle Chambers.
Chambers leads a new Facebook group called Keep Buckroe Beach Clean and said the recent items they have found after a busy beach day is astonishing.
“Today there was a dirty diaper. Maxi pads. We get those sand buckets, snack packets, and a lot of water bottles,” said Chambers.
10 On Your Side’s Tamara Scott went out with them Wednesday and left with two full trash bags and a pool noodle.
“I don’t understand why you would come to trash the place where you enjoy, and keep coming back to,” said Moon.
They said that with the coronavirus still around, they understand some hesitation.
“I know a lot of people right now are afraid to clean up the trash because they are afraid of maybe catching the virus. I mean, I understand if you want to come out and clean up. You can wear gloves and throw your trash away correctly when you’re done. Don’t touch your face,” said Chambers.
She still believes it is up to the community to keep it clean and hopes to see help from the city with trash cans.
Chambers also says, “We really need law enforcement to issue citations for littering there is a ‘no littering’ sentence in the rules — but it is very small,” she added.
She says it will make a world of difference for the beach goers and the environment.
“The sea turtles think that plastic is food. It smells like food, they eat it and they also can die. Same with the dolphins, so it is affecting the animals in the ocean even though we can’t see it directly,” she explained.
Chambers says with her new Facebook group, she is organizing community clean-ups every week starting this Saturday at 8 a.m.
For more information click here, and join the group.