Senate committee considers resolution asking Congress to help fund cleanup of marine debris washing onto Alaska shores

Senate Joint Resolution 20, introduced on May 12, 2025, asks Congress to provide assistance to Alaska for the removal, transport and disposal of marine debris that washes ashore. Testimony from tribal officials and national and statewide nonprofits emphasized that remote Alaska communities shoulder disproportionate cleanup costs and logistical burdens and urged federal support for backhaul and disposal programs.

Sen. Jesse Bjorkman, who represents portions of the Kenai Peninsula and sponsored SJR 20, told the Senate Resources Committee the volume and variety of debris that arrives on Alaska’s coasts ranges from large industrial floats and nets to microplastics. "This is a big issue," Bjorkman said, asking for the committee’s consideration of the resolution that requests congressional assistance.

Dr. Lauren Devine, director of the Ecosystem Conservation Office for the Aleut Community of St. Paul Island, told senators that remote tribal communities have long borne the burden of removing debris that is not locally sourced. She said her community’s shoreline removals are dominated—more than 80%—by fishing-industry materials such as nets, ropes and buoys that arrive via ocean currents. "We have committed significant time, resources, capacity, and money into battling a never-ending problem against marine debris," Devine said.

Michael Levine, senior director for Alaska programs at Ocean Conservancy, told the committee that as of the last comprehensive statewide survey in 2014 more than 3,000,000 pounds of debris had been removed from Alaska shorelines and that hundreds of thousands more pounds have been removed since then. He described Ocean Conservancy’s support for local cleanup and a nascent backhaul pilot funded by an Environmental Protection Agency grant to help move collected debris from remote communities to recycling and disposal facilities outside the state.

Ralph Wolf, director of Indigenous Stewardship Programs for Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, described on-the-ground logistics: remote cleanups require pre-planning, vessels, personnel and coordination to move thousands of pounds of nets and other heavy gear off shorelines and into disposal streams. He said the cost and complexity of backhaul make local disposal impractical in many places. "It's not about picking up trash. It's about safeguarding our livelihoods, restoring ecosystems, honoring the connection of the people to the place," Wolf said.

Committee members asked about the origin of debris and international or multilateral avenues for seeking assistance. Devine and Levine said much debris bears foreign-language labeling and that major sources include material transported across the Pacific. Levine said he would research prior funding tied to the Fukushima disaster and other international mechanisms and provide follow-up information to the committee staff.

There was no formal vote. Chair Sen. Giselle set an amendment deadline of May 16 at noon and set the resolution aside pending amendments and further committee work. The committee also requested any follow-up information on international funding or legal avenues be shared with committee staff.

Next steps: SJR 20 will return to the Senate Resources Committee after the amendment deadline; committees and communities may pursue federal funding or pilot programs (such as EPA-supported backhaul pilots) to reduce costs to remote Alaskan communities.