Fox News
Expand
Browse All Video
Watch Live

You're watching...

Great pacific garbage patch: Tsunami dock lands on US beach

Details

  • Description

    Chris Havel on whether the West Coast should be on alert

  • Duration 8:48
  • Date

Clips

Also in this playlist...

FoxNews.com LIVE

Auto-advance: ON

Auto-advance
View All

Transcript

This transcript is automatically generated

Fifteen.

Months ago.

And we have told people that that -- debris might be washing up on the West Coast of this country what we didn't expect to see this.

I'll roll video and -- we're gonna bring in our next guest this week Oregon officials have confirmed a doc.

Has washed ashore.

From this economic.

The -- seven feet high in nineteen feet wide 66 feet long is the first official piece of tsunami debris.

To reach the state of -- a size of that thing next to the people.

It -- a building.

-- should the West Coast be on alert Chris Havel as a spokesperson for the Oregon parks and recreation department and he is the person.

True answer the question.

Is about whether or not those -- really came from the -- good to see you mr.

Havel thanks for joining us this morning by Skype.

I know it's it's O dark thirty where you are an -- we appreciate you getting up so oral.

Not from.

First of all why does your department called -- to talk about this I mean why -- you to make the determination.

Well in Oregon they are 362.

Mile beach is is completely publicly on its managed as a state recreation -- so worker are responsible for what happens on the beach.

-- OK -- what was the first thing you did when you were notified about the stock what was your first concern.

Well we have debris -- everyone's calm -- -- anyway nothing quite the scandal to be sure.

But we do what we always do which is first again.

Clear understanding of what we've got -- -- -- hazards president.

-- is there anything here that would directly endanger public health.

And so we do that assessment first thing and then we move into.

What we need to do to get it off the beach as quickly as possible.

All right I want to talk specifically about dangers to public health gives you are concerned about one thing in particular I want to remind everybody the Fukushima.

Nuclear plant.

Was on high alert and -- and went nuclear basically let's just say it and so radiation I understand was one of the things you were looking for on the -- Yeah -- -- it told by a -- national oceanographic and atmospheric administration that it's very unlikely that any of the -- coming across as any kind of contamination like.

Because the debris first left.

Long before other problems with a -- -- -- plan and second and this material came from.

Our northeastern.

Edge of the country but we -- check first thing when we were there on site.

-- Geiger -- we were quick that way now and as part of our procedure checked and everything was just fine.

Well and I know you guys took a lot of ways that you contested in a lab our -- -- all could look at this video yesterday with pop up those images again if we can't.

There are a whole lot of people that appointments -- there were kids down there -- you to people -- so home do you think you know they did.

Well certainly there was a lot of marine life growing on the side and that's mainly what people were were poking out.

I and yes I'm I'm sure they did take those home as well.

But -- all of that public attention happened after we -- again on site done the necessary tests and and assured ourselves that there really wasn't any risk.

We you know why I was reading -- that one of the things that you might be concerned about consumer of millions of organisms I mean the whole thing just makes me -- -- -- -- to think about that for a bit.

But I you know I'm not cool like you are -- at the parks and -- freaked out by the U2 -- but.

What -- species that we have been exposed to.

Well or department -- your wallet officials and a marine biologists are back at the marine science and her chance.

Associated with our -- the diversity just happens it outlook I'll speak for site every block in.

-- they were also want very quickly collecting biological samples and they found species.

Algae multiple and Barnicle.

That are not native to our shores.

And that's why yesterday.

We went through and clean everything off.

-- all of that biological material off.

And buried it safely away from the site.

The one of the things that they found that was of particular concern -- marine algae.

Although on -- and that despite it's.

I'm Nicole what -- if -- currently in invasive species in Southern California.

Not present an organ and want to keep it that way.

Wow so what do you do when you find it on there.

Aren't quite -- it but yeah.

They album change volunteers yesterday under the guidance of the garden department official while I went through with schools and I literally scraped -- other came clean.

Backed up all that material and then she treated as they went through web.

What we call we tortures its portable library big burden to what you just target barbecue -- star -- pressure -- they just.

Sterilize the entire outside of it and all of these organisms are salt water dependent so -- wanted -- out of the salt water zone.

They're not going to the spread.

We -- those.

Way up the -- some very large very wide beach all the way to the -- are outside of Serbs don't hype -- just -- storm -- -- all that.

Got about that diabetic foot deep pit -- treated the -- with bleach -- didn't ever back -- That's some serious stuff and I you know why I was -- Because I -- our homework on this and it's serious and very -- up with bleach on it eight feet down into the ground where nobody goes.

Come on Chris that's scary can any of this stuff hurt us.

No no it's there is no danger to people.

You know I without fairer way of folks taking a look at it people very curious it was sort of like a big floating -- went away because of life -- -- -- not.

So when you -- more to the ecosystem not not to keep.

I understand but that affects all of us that's all one world what do you do with this thing this big -- this -- is it going to be like a tourist attraction or you're sitting -- Well we don't allow material like that stay on the short we need to get rid of it as quickly as possible.

Natural material that wash up.

Not as much of a concern.

I think structure like that.

We need to get rid of it.

And restore -- -- our options we have to have an option levels assuming right now and we either try to get it -- float it and I'm told it to a nearby -- Or we have to dismantle -- on site am hurdling a landfill.

-- going through with salvage experts to look at all options -- -- costs for both.

And figure out what one police disruptive to the -- and get it back on track to restore it -- it just it is possible it's a decision they're probably the next day or so.

-- we will watch for that that is that's a whole lot of I'm guessing taxpayer money that's gonna have to pay for this thing -- one point five million tons.

Of debris floating in that would from what I understand -- that one thing that washed up but -- five million tons of debris.

That -- -- the Pacific after march 11 of 2011 so you guys on high alert for more of the stuff showing up on your short.

Yes and that's pretty clear they removed one point five pounds just -- the material no on the subject are my guys are -- again.

That pocket now -- About a 10360.

Tons somewhere in that region we've heard differing reports.

There -- the one point.

Seven million tons of debris that didn't think after wash away from Japan where that material is right now nobody knows how about you know.

From our bonds now we've been working -- Other state agencies federal agencies are local jurisdictions on the coast and nonprofit groups that help Muster volunteers to take care of differing levels of debris you know there's trash which can just be picked up and throw them away little pieces of plastic and are -- -- not.

And you can handle that in one way and then -- the larger scale.

Objects.

Now the original predictions were a large -- stop what we're gonna walk short of next year.

Obviously there's some treatment to be done in those -- predictions but.

We we have a good response network already.

In place because.

-- -- -- -- Right well and I wanted an optimistic.

Under the wire what I hear you saying it and I know you don't wanna freak people out but people probably shouldn't -- all the stuff before you guys get out there so when you -- -- parks and -- guys from Morgan comment.

Back up and let them do their jobs Chris -- here today he was the guy who made the determination that this came from the tsunami we appreciate him joining us this morning.

Chris thank you know I -- go back to bad it's -- -- organ.

I unproductive spell Phishing hanging -- need to -- -- in -- zero.

I know isn't there always -- good information when Skype.

Load More