Japan tsunami debris washing up in Alaska

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JUNEAU, ALASKA (NEWS1130) – BC’s coastline isn’t the only one having to deal with debris washing up from Japan’s tsunami.

The state of Alaska is also dealing with the growing problem.

“We don’t know how much but we are getting reports that there is quite a bit,” says Dave Gaudet with the Marine Conservation Alliance Foundation in Alaska.

He says things like kerosene canisters and items from Japan’s fishing industry are washing up.

“We’re all alarmed by the Styrofoam, because the Styrofoam breaks apart into small pieces, picked up by birds and gets buried into the soil, picked up by other animals, it’s a plastic and it’s not meant to be ingested.”

He says given that a lot of Alaskan shoreline is remote, it may be a while before debris is discovered and recovered. Pilots have been instrumental in locating much of the junk.

Gaudet also points out that the state still hasn’t decided what to do with all the garbage.

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