E.P.A. Declares In excess of $9 Million in Beach Grants To Help Protect Swimmers

WASHINGTON - The E.P.A. (EPA) is making almost $10 million in grants accessible to 37 eligible coastal and Great Lakes states, territories and tribes to monitor beach water quality and notify the public of conditions that may be unsafe for swimming.

"This backing will help states monitor their beaches and provide beachgoers with critical water quality information," said Peter Silva, assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Water. "Protecting the beach-going public from illness is a national priority and E.P.A. will continue to invest in this type of initiative."

This marks the Tenth year that E.P.A. provides beach grant funds, with in excess of $90 million awarded to states, territories, and tribes since 2001. The 2010 grants continue to build upon efforts by E.P.A. and the states to provide consistent public health protection and up-to-date public information about local beach conditions. The beach grants have also enabled states and territories to in excess of double the number of beaches at which they monitor water quality since 2003. Increased public information about beach water quality also serves as a motivator for beach communities to identify sources of contamination and to take corrective action.

The funds are made accessible under the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health (BEACH) Act of 2000. E.P.A. estimates that one-third of all Americans visit coastal areas each year, making a total of 910 million trips while spending in excess of $40 billion annually. E.P.A. also estimates that coastal recreation and the related tourism industry together serve 180 million Americans, support in excess of 28 million jobs and generate billions of dollars in goods and services each year.

While EPA's BEACH Act grants are a cornerstone of federal efforts to develop strong state beach protection programs, the agency is also focusing on developing new technologies to more quickly identify bacterial contamination at our nation's beaches. Numerous state-of-the-art detection methods and results from scientific research studies are currently being evaluated.

More information: http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/beaches/grants/

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