Give your beach a clean sweep! COA seeks volunteers for Spring Beach Sweeps Volunteers are needed to clean beaches at the Spring Beach Sweeps April 28. SANDY HOOK - Clean Ocean Action (COA) invites organizations and citizens to participate in the 22nd annual Spring Beach Sweeps April 28, at sites along the New Jersey coast from Old Bridge to Cape May. The sweeps begin at 9 a.m. and end at 12:30 p.m., rain or shine. COA's Beach Sweeps is the largest grassroots environmental event in the state and the longest-running cleanup of its kind in the United States. In 2005 (the latest statistics currently available), more than 2,700 volunteers picked nearly 43,400 pounds of debris at 89 locations along the Jersey Shore. The debris that volunteers collect, catalog and tally at the sweeps provides data that is used to identify pollution problems and aid legislators in enacting laws to protect our marine environment. Beach Sweeps educate citizens as they make a difference in their communities and teach citizens about nonpoint source pollution or "pointless" pollution. COA's Sweeps are powerful evidence that the public is concerned about the protection of the ocean as a clean natural resource. Volunteers are instructed to bring gloves, dress for the weather, and wear sunscreen and closed, hard-soled shoes. COA welcomes the participation of people of all ages, as well as individuals, families and groups. Groups of 15 or more are requested to preregister by calling (732) 872-0111, or using the online signup form on the organization's Web site, www.cleanoceanaction.org. For a list of sweeps sites, the group signup form and other tips, visit the Web site and follow the links for "Beach Sweeps."