Harrison County beach crews sculpting sand ahead of Cruisin’ the Coast
LONG BEACH, Miss. (WLOX) - It’s a common sight on the beaches in Harrison County — bulldozers, rakers and other equipment get 26 miles of beach ready for visitors. They’re out this week as Cruisin the Coast gets closer.
On average. crews pick up at least 10 tons of garbage per week. That’s 520 tons a year, enough refuse to fill up 31 travel buses.
“When we have heavy rain events, that washes debris down rivers and empties into the Gulf. That washes ashore,” said Chuck Loftis, Harrison Co. Sand Beach Director. “So it’s things like debris and garbage in cans that we pick up on a daily basis. We have 24 staff members, and they do a great job. They really put pride in their work.”
Loftis says most of the time, people use the trash receptacles, but with big crowds expected next week, he and others are reminding beachgoers to put litter in it’s place.
“With his group coming in, we really have no issues with the garbage. They usually use the cans or bag it up and we can easily dispose of it.”
One other reminder from Loftis and others concerns the beach bonfire pits. The current burn ban also applies to our beaches, which means no bonfire permits are being issued.
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