Washington Gov. Calls For Federal Help With Tsunami Debris

Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire says federal help is needed to help clean up tsunami debris that reaches the West Coast. She told a news conference Monday morning at Ocean Shores, "We don't have the resources at the state level to do what we're going to have to do here."

A 66-foot dock ripped loose by the big waves in March 2011 landed on an Oregon beach this month, having crossed 5,000 miles of ocean. And on Friday, Washington officials said they were checking into whether a 20-foot boat that washed ashore at Cape Disappointment State Park in Pacific County came from Japan.

     Gregoire announced a "Clean Shoreline Initiative" to be led by Washington National Guard commander Timothy Lowenberg. It would include the state Health Department and other agencies. The governor says there's no reason to fear seafood or visiting coastal beaches. Health Secretary Mary Selecky says monitoring has found no radiation in salmon.The state also is monitoring for invasive species, but Gregoire says she's not aware of any arriving on tsunami debris.