Print this Page
E-mail this Article
|
Pollution-Related Beach Closings and Advisories Climb in 2006
Pollution-related closings and health advisories at U.S. beaches were more numerous than ever in 2006, according to NRDC's annual report on beachwater quality. Across the country, there were more than 25,000 days of closings and advisories in 2006 at ocean, bay and Great Lakes beaches -- an increase of 28 percent from 2005. Heavy rainfall that washes sewage, debris and other pollutants from cities and towns into coastal waters was a major cause of beach closures this year. NRDC expects the upward trend to continue. This year the report closely examines popular beaches and beaches that are close to sources of pollution, such as Newport Beach in California, Surfside Beach in South Carolina and Coco Plum Beach in the Florida Keys. Closing and advisory days at these high-risk beaches have been increasing steadily over the past three years. Improved Monitoring Shows Need for Revised Health Standards
Increased monitoring continues to highlight how extensive the problem of beachwater pollution is. NRDC identified 92 high-risk beaches in 19 states that violated public health standards at least 25 percent of the time, according to monitoring data. Yet even beaches that meet standards are not necessarily safe. The current EPA-recommended beachwater quality standards are 20 years old and rely on obsolete monitoring methods and out-of-date science that leave beachgoers vulnerable to a range of waterborne illnesses. An NRDC lawsuit filed last summer is prodding the EPA to move faster to develop an updated health standard and faster test methods. Keeping Water Safe by Cleaning Up Pollution
Individuals can also help clean up beach pollution by taking simple measures such as picking up pet waste, maintaining septic systems, putting plastic pants on babies, keeping trash off the beach, and properly disposing of household toxics, used motor oil and boating wastes. Beach Buddies and Beach Bums Each year, NRDC spotlights a list of "beach bums" and "beach buddies," based on the percentage of monitoring samples tested during the 2006 beach season that violated public health standards and practices that buddies use to help protect the public from exposure to beachwater pollution. For example, a beach bum might need to improve monitoring or act more quickly to issue advisories and closings to keep the public safe. A beach buddy, on the other hand, might use computer models to quickly predict when beachwaters might be unsafe, or restore wetlands to help filter water pollution that runs off of dirty urban streets. 2007 Beach Buddies and Beach Bums (pdf) Photo: (top) Getty images Related NRDC Pages Based on TESTING THE WATERS 2007: A Guide to Water Quality at Vacation Beaches, an August 2007 report by the Natural Resources Defense Council. last revised 8.02.07 |
Since 1991, NRDC's annual watchdog report, "Testing the Waters: A Guide to Water Quality at Vacation Beaches," has sparked several improvements in beachwater monitoring. For instance, it helped spur enactment of the federal BEACH Act of 2000, which provided grants to state and local governments to set up beachwater monitoring programs. Today, 97 percent of high-risk beaches are monitored at least once a week.
The best way to keep swimmers from getting sick is to keep pollution out of the water. NRDC is supporting federal legislation that would double funding for BEACH Act grants and give states and local governments resources to track sources of beachwater pollution and make quick improvements such as fixing leaky plumbing in bathhouses, or providing special trash cans for pet waste. Controls on sewage overflows, urban stormwater and other sources of polluted runoff are also critical to keeping beaches open for swimming.
