Trash Interceptor Collected About 11 Tons Of Trash In Recent Storms

MARINA DEL REY, CA — The nation's first ocean trash interceptor at the mouth of Ballona Creek in Marina del Rey has collected 11 tons of trash in the recent rain storms between Feb. 24 to 27, Los Angeles County officials said.

As dramatic rainstorms continue to pummel the coast of L.A., the interceptor's main job has been tested with water levels in the creek reaching a peak at 8.61 feet on Feb. 25 at 9 a.m. according to the national weather service.

At the Oct. 22 launch, county officials said the storm season is the perfect time to test if the interceptor can handle the large volume of trash that flows through the creek. According to the L.A. Department of Public Works, Ballona Crrek saw about 4.09 inches of rain over a three day period ending on Feb. 27.

"If you want to see this in action residents come out when it's raining," Director of Public Works Mark Pestrella said at the October launch. "That's what we want you to see, that's when we're going to really see it."

To date, the interceptor has collected a total of more than 110,000 pounds of trash and debris, preventing it from reaching the Santa Monica Bay and local beaches since its launch. A variety of waste has been collected by the interceptor since its launch from plastic bottles to a couch.

Trash from around the county, including the streets of Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, parts of L.A. and Culver City all feed into a storm drain network that eventually leads out through Ballona Creek.

In an update posted on Feb. 10, the city said a new permanent trash barrier was deployed on Ballona Creek's north side jetty because the original barrier sustained damages during early January storms. The original barrier will be salvaged and reused for spare parts, officials said.

The Interceptor is a fully-automated, solar-powered trash collection device deployed to combat pollution at Ballona Creek. The floating barge dumpster is 70 feet long and 20 feet tall and is part of a pilot project that includes the construction of six moorings on the north and south jetties of the channel, the installation of a river monitoring system to characterize types of trash and educational signage.

Inside the interceptor are a catamaran and an automated trash rack with a conveyor belt system. The Ocean Cleanup provided the interceptor at no cost and provided monitoring equipment to characterize the system's success.

The cost of designing and permitting the pilot project is approximately $1.3 million and construction of moorings to secure the Interceptor and booms in place is estimated to cost $1.5 million. Annual maintenance is estimated to cost $650,000 annually according to project officials.

Pestrella said the pilot aims to see how effective the interceptor will be and if it is something they want to continue doing. According to Pestrella, data will be shared with the community as it is collected.