With the accomplishment of its one millionth pound of debris collected within reach, volunteers will fan out across coastal Alabama Sept. 15 to participate in the 20th annual Alabama Coastal Cleanup.

The combined effort of the Coastal Section of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) State Lands Division and the Alabama PALS (People Against a Littered State) program, the cleanup event has resulted in 902,242 pounds of trash and debris removed from 2,847 miles of Alabama coastline.

"That's a lot of trash," said Spencer Ryan of Alabama PALS, which also sponsors Adopt-A-Mile, Adopt-AStream, Adopt-An-Area, "Don't Drop It On Alabama" Spring Cleanup, the Alabama Clean Campus Program, the Alabama Adopt-A-Beach Program, the Annual Litter Law Enforcement Conference and the PALS Litter Education Curriculum. "That is probably 85 percent of what's been picked up. But those are the amounts we do have recorded during those 20 years. We hope to reach that goal of one million pounds of trash picked up. We're going to need a lot of help from volunteers. Our best turnout has been 4,300 volunteers, and we're shooting for 4,500 this year."

Considering there was no Alabama Coastal Cleanup in 2004 and a limited one in 2005 because of Hurricane Ivan, that goal of one million pounds may be attainable.

"Hurricane Ivan spoiled the whole deal in 2004," Ryan said. "The numbers were off in 2005 because a lot of the zones we had were not up and running. There were just places we still could not get into. But 2006 was a good year and I think this will be our biggest turnout, especially with the work Amy King has done with the zone captains."

King said Ivan taught them a valuable lesson.

"Hurricane Ivan was truly the first year we had to deal with hurricane so close to the event," King said. "I think Ivan hit two days before the cleanup was scheduled. What came out of that was an emergency management plan for the cleanup. In the plan, we listed several procedures for the coordinators to follow and criteria to determine whether we cancel or postpone. We have a plan to coordinate with volunteers. We now have guidelines to deal with all that, as well as get in touch with the press to get the word out. We were able to put that to use the next year during Katrina."

The event, which is set for 8 a.m. to noon, will attract a variety of volunteers, Ryan said.

"We'll have all kinds of groups from Scout groups to residents who will come in from all over the state to be a part of the Coastal Cleanup," he said. "We will have zones (22 sites) along the coast, like Daphne, Gulf Shores, Ono Island, Boggy Point, Dauphin Island. We break the volunteers down in small groups so we can cover everything from the beaches to the bays. Each one will have a data card to record what is picked up and they return it to us.

"They'll be picking up everything from furniture to cigarette butts. It's amazing what they pick up. Everything that gets thrown in the water ends up on the shore. That affects marine life. Fish and other creatures get caught in those soft-drink plastic rings. Birds and fish get entangled in fishing line. And a clean beach is instrumental in economic growth. We have as many beautiful resources as any place in the country and we want to keep it that way."

The ADCNR Coastal Section's Amy King, who heads up volunteer recruitment, said most people understand the litter problem through educational promotions like "Don't Be a Litter Bug" and "Give a Hoot, Don't Pollute." However, she said most people don't understand how litter also adversely affects water quality.

"We try to educate people on how it damages the environment by providing hands-on experience," King said. "There is a three-fold mission to Coastal Cleanup. We engage citizens in removing trash and debris; to identify the sources of the debris (could it have been caused by a picnic or was it commercial); to change behaviors that cause pollution. Hopefully, that will be our ultimate result. Once you see it and understand where it comes from and how it got there, you can work to change that."

Ryan said the cleanup can also have long-term consequences.

"It creates a sense of pride and volunteerism for the people who participate and the corporate sponsors," Ryan said. "It lends itself to people doing this all year long."

Both Ryan and King said the most common litter is the cigarette butt.

"People don't realize how long materials can last in the environment," King said. "Cigarette butts are the number one most littered item in the world and Alabama's most littered item. Another thing people don't realize. Cigarette filters are not paper. They are a special plastic. So it takes much longer to degrade."

There are plenty of other problem items. According to Environmental Protection Agency, foam cups can pollute for 50 years. Even an aluminum can, which I expected to last no longer than a couple of years in a saltwater environment, can survive up to 200 years.

Anyone interested in volunteering can visit www.alabamacoastalcleanup. com and view the sites of the cleanups. Then they can contact the volunteer who will be running the site. Or they can call King at (251) 621-1216. Go to www.alpals.org for the Alabama PALS information.

Ryan added, "Hopefully, people will realize that most of the trash will be there when we're gone unless we pick it up."