Clean Beach Bill Wins House Approval
Legislation would fund coastal water safety measures and improved public notification about polluted beaches
Photo 1 of
The sound of crashing waves. The smell of salt water. As you head to the beach this summer, you don’t want to have to worry about whether or not that cool, refreshing dip in the sea might make you sick.
The mounting concern over contaminated beachwater prompted the U.S. House of Representatives to pass the Beach Protection Act in April 2008. If enacted, the legislation would provide federal funds to beachwater managers to protect the public from exposure to polluted waters.
Beach closings and advisories due to pollution have become a big problem in recent years. According to NRDC’s latest beach water quality report, U.S. beaches racked up 25,000 closings and advisories in 2006 -- a record-breaker -- because of high levels of bacteria contamination from human and animal waste found in the water.
The source of beach pollution is often contaminated stormwater or inadequately treated sewage. The Beach Protection Act would require the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to approve a rapid testing method for monitoring the safety of beachwater and promptly notifying the public. The bill would also increase funding for state and local beach monitoring programs to $40 million and, for the first time, pay for the identification of pollution sources..
Other major public health victories in the bill include a requirement that the appropriate environmental agency be notified of any detected water quality violation, and mandatory closing and advisory determinations within 24 hours of finding a violation.
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) advocated for these improvements to public health protections for beachgoers. NRDC’s Nancy Stoner said of the bill, "This legislation would make every parent more comfortable about allowing children to swim at the beach. Americans shouldn't have to choose between swimming in sewage or baking on the beach."
She added, "This would be a huge win for public health."
Resources
Fact Sheet: How to Prevent the Beachwater Pollution That Makes Swimmers Sick (pdf)
