Freeport, NY, April 5 - Extreme amounts of shoreline trash have been reported by residents of East Rockaway and Bay Park. Coffee cups, water bottles, and assorted litter can also be seen all over Long Island's south shore waterways. Many people think that litter in the Bay Park area is a result of careless boaters but that is not the case. Street litter from as far north as Garden City washes into storm drains that empty, unfiltered, directly into south shore waterways. The captains and crews of the Bay Park Chapter of Operation SPLASH (Stop Polluting Littering and Save Harbors) are ready to make that trash disappear. Once a week six SPLASH crews set out for a day on the water and garbage picking. "Our south shore bays are a treasure that must be preserved and improved." Said Elliot Cohen, a SPLASH Captain from Woodmere. He continued, "Just today we saw three beautiful egrets that deserve a clean environment. When you see the number of bottles, tires, and plastic bags we collect, you know the cleanup boats are making a difference." The Bay Park Chapter of Operation SPLASH is seeking captains and crew members to help patrol the waters of East Rockaway and Bay Park. Carole Meyers, a three-year volunteer from East Rockaway remarked, "My husband and I want to help the environment and stop pollution. Our grandsons are both Boy Scouts and they clean the land so we wanted to do our part by cleaning the waters. When we finish, we have a good feeling of satisfaction." If you enjoy spending time on the water, like to make new friends and want to make real difference, volunteer for Operation SPLASH this season. To volunteer or join Operation SPLASH call (516) 378-4770. Visit www.OperationSPLASH.org for general information. The next SPLASH membership meeting will be held at the Freeport Recreation Center on Tuesday, May 3 at 7:30pm. All are welcome to attend. Founded in Freeport in 1990, Operation SPLASH is a 1,500 member, grassroots, all-volunteer organization dedicated to improving the quality of the waterways along the South Shore of Long Island. Throughout its 20 year history, SPLASH volunteers have removed almost 1,000,000 pounds of trash from the local waterways. The organization is currently working on other important projects designed to protect and preserve the fragile South Shore estuaries. XXX