Lautenberg, Voinovich Introduce Beach Protection Act

Press Release

Today, U.S. Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ), along with Sen. George V. Voinovich (R-OH), re-introduced a bill that requires tough new beach water quality testing and public notification standards so beachgoers are better informed about the safety of their beaches.

"Our nation's beaches are a treasure and we need to do all we can to help them remain clean and safe. Clean water is essential for our economy and the health of the country. Our last BEACH Act, which is now law, was an important step in ensuring cleaner, safer beaches. This new bill builds upon those efforts by further protecting our shores and our waters," said Sen. Lautenberg.

"The Great Lakes are our nation's north coast, and millions of Americans enjoy their beaches every year," Sen. Voinovich said. "This bill is a vital piece of a comprehensive strategy that is absolutely necessary to save one of our nation's greatest natural resources. It will help our beaches - both in Ohio and around the country - remain healthy and safe and will protect them from the detrimental effects of pollution and sewage contamination after flooding or heavy rainfall."

The bill, the Beach Protection Act of 2008, also co-sponsored by Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Sen. John Warner (R-VA), reauthorizes the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health (BEACH) Act, which was authored by Sen. Lautenberg and Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ-06) and signed into law by President Clinton in 2000.

Under the BEACH Act, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is required to work with states to ensure they used the latest science to sample and test beach waters to protect the public's health. States are also required to notify the public if tests showed water quality standards were violated. The law also helps states set up comprehensive monitoring and notification programs in order to provide up-to-date information on the condition of all public beaches.

The Beach Protection Act of 2008 improves upon existing law and is similar to the bill Sen. Lautenberg introduced in May 2007, but with the following changes:

• Some funding under this bill can be used for clean up purposes. In particular, ten percent of the first $10 million appropriated, 40 percent of the next $5 million and 50 percent of any funding above $15 million can be used for clean up;

• A specific time of two years is set for the EPA to validate its testing methods; and

• The EPA is required to conduct a study on how it distributes grants to states.

The bill mandates the use of rapid testing methods by requiring the EPA to approve methods that detect bathing water contamination in two hours or less so that beaches can be closed shortly thereafter. Current water quality monitoring tests only test for bacteria levels and take one or two days to produce reliable results, during which time many beachgoers can be unknowingly exposed to harmful pathogens.

The new legislation also doubles from $30 million to $60 million the amount of grant money available annually to states through 2012, and expands the scope of the grants to also include pollution source tracking and prevention efforts.

The House of Representatives is expected to pass companion legislation, authored by Rep. Pallone, this week.

Source