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Avon by the Sea, NJ --- As thousands of residents and visitors flock to New Jersey's beaches this Memorial Day Weekend, U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and U.S. Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) today announced the introduction of the Beach Protection Act, 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.
The Beach Protection Act reauthorizes the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health (BEACH) Act, which was authored by Pallone and Lautenberg and signed into law by President Clinton in 2000.
Under the BEACH Act, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was required to work with states to ensure they used the latest science to sample and test beach waters to protect the public's health. If tests came back positive for contaminants then the state was required to close the beach until it was once again clean. The law also helped states set up comprehensive monitoring and notification programs in order to provide up-to-date information on the condition of all public beaches.
The reauthorization legislation introduced yesterday 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 24 to 48 hours to produce reliable results, during which time many beachgoers can be unknowingly exposed to harmful pathogens.
Pallone and Lautenberg said the 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.
"For six years the BEACH Act has given beachgoers the peace of mind that the beaches they visit are clean," Pallone said. "Today, we begin the process of strengthening this important law by requiring states to use expedited tests so beachgoers are notified about potential problems right away."
“New Jersey’s beaches are a treasure and must remain clean and safe. Clean water is essential for our economy and the health of our state. My bill six years ago was an important step in ensuring cleaner, safer beaches and this bill will further protect our shores and our waters,” said Lautenberg.
“New Jersey’s shores are a haven for beachgoers and a major factor in our state’s economy,” said U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, who is a lead co-sponsor in the Senate. “The BEACH Act has helped to ensure that residents and tourists alike are in a safe, healthy and clean environment. I’m glad that this important peace of legislation is being strengthened to further protect beachgoers and being introduced in time for the unofficial start of summer.”
The New Jersey lawmakers were joined at a press conference this morning by New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Lisa Jackson, Avon by the Sea Mayor Bob Mahon, Clean Ocean Action Executive Director Cindy Zipf and John Weber of the Surfrider Foundation.
Each summer, tourism at New Jersey's beaches produces $36 billion in economic activities and provides nearly 500,000 jobs.
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