[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 11007]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  RECOGNITION OF CLEAN OCEAN ACTION IN HONOR OF THEIR 20TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. FRANK PALLONE, JR.

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 20, 2004

  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the exemplary work of 
Clean Ocean Action, and to recognize their significant contributions 
over the years, as they celebrate their 20th Anniversary this weekend. 
Clean Ocean Action (COA) was established in 1984, by individuals who 
had a deep-rooted concern for the environment, as well as a desire to 
help maintain the cleanliness of our oceans. Today, we can say with 
great certainty that the waters off the New Jersey and New York coast 
have benefited a great deal thanks to the efforts of COA, and its 
volunteers and the many citizens who have participated in COA 
activities.
  In commemorating their 20th Anniversary, COA certainly has much to 
celebrate. Since its inception, this group has organized over 30,600 
volunteers for bi-annual beach clean-ups that have led to the removal 
of millions of pieces of trash and debris that typically pollute our 
coast. COA has compiled statistical information on the trash collected 
during their sweeps, which provide a very valuable tool to determine 
the leading source of debris pollution on our beaches and in our 
coastal waters. The Beach Sweeps were also chosen as a ``Local 
Legacy,'' for the 200th celebration of the Library of Congress.
  As a passionate supporter of our oceans and our coastline, I am 
mindful of the world of indebtedness that we owe to this organization. 
The selfless acts of groups such as the COA, and the volunteers they 
organize, often go without official recognition or praise. However, we 
all benefit and are grateful for the work that they do and it is 
imperative that we support their efforts. Therefore, I pause today to 
thank Clean Ocean Action for their tireless efforts and I ask my 
colleagues to do the same.
  Once again, Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate COA on their 
anniversary, and offer them the highest praise for the fine and 
important work they have done over the past twenty years.

                          ____________________