Tsunami debris will reach the West Coast, Hawaii in a few years

LOS ANGELES--Floating debris from the March 11 tsunami will reach the North American West Coast in three years and hit Hawaii twice, leading to potential environmental and economic damage, U.S. researchers said. <...>

According to the research center's forecast released April 5, the debris from Japan, including bits of buildings, automobiles, ships and myriad other things, will arrive in waters north of the Hawaiian islands in 2012, a year after the earthquake. Some of it will be washed ashore.

In 2014, the debris will reach California and Alaska in the United States, British Columbia in Canada and Baja California in Mexico. Winds and currents will then push the tsunami debris back west. <...>

The outflow will harm or kill seabirds, sea turtles and other marine organisms that accidentally ingest it, while adding to the overall pollution of the ocean, the team said.

http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201105090148.html

Just think of all the Japanese auto parts that are to be had by the dedicated beach-comber or fisherman with a strong net. What a boost it will be to the US economy!

And so much of it that it will overwhelm pristine beaches. Also some of it will be radiation contaminated.

portion that we Californians will clean off our beaches on the ONE DAY A YEAR we bother to do so.

of the beach every time I went. Same with the places where I did surf-fishing. Whenever I went to the beach, I took a trash bag with me and filled it up. If everyone did that, the beaches would be pristine all the time.

I surf just about daily and always walk the trails and lots picking up trash. Granted, I am on the coast of Oregon and there usually isnt much to pick up.
The trails and lots stay clean for about a week till the tourists come and screw it all up again.
Just a few minutes can make a huge difference.

to the beach for their picnic, and just toss everything onto the sand when they leave. Dirty diapers are a common find.

This, in spite of trash containers being placed every few years as far as the eye can see.