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EPA Beach Program Publishes National List of Beaches
Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource. An updated National List of Beaches (2008) can be found here.
As Required Under BEACH Act
April 2004; EPA-823-F-04-007
The Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health Act (BEACH Act) was signed intolaw on October 10, 2000, and amends the Clean Water Act (CWA), incorporating provisions to reduce the risk of illness to users of the Nation's recreational waters. The BEACH Act requires states, tribes, and territories to identify their coastal recreation waters and to report on monitoring activities at those beaches. EPA compiled this list using information submitted by states and territories to EPA as of December 31, 2003. The National List of Beaches is a picture of the extent of beach monitoring across the country. It will help EPA determine how to better implement the BEACH Act. The List also provides information to the public about beaches in their state. EPA will update this list periodically and will publish notices in the Federal Register of any revisions to the National List of Beaches.
Background
Each year state, tribal, and local health and environmental protection agencies monitor the quality of water at the Nation's beaches. When bacteria levels in the water are too high, these agencies notify the public of beach warnings or closings. State and local monitoring and notification programs differ across the country and provide different levels of protection for swimmers.
To improve water quality testing at the beach and to help beach managers better inform the public when there are water quality problems, Congress passed the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health Act (BEACH Act) in October 2000. This Act authorizes EPA to award grants to eligible states, tribes, and territories to develop and implement beach water quality monitoring programs at coastal and Great Lakes recreational waters near beaches. These grants also support the development and implementation of programs to inform the public about the risk of exposure to disease-causing microorganisms in the waters at the Nation's beaches.
National List of Beaches
EPA provided federal grant funds since 2001 to assist states and territories in the developmentand implementation of their beach programs. As a BEACH Act grant condition, states developed their list of beaches and identified whether there is a monitoring program for each beach. States then submitted their lists to EPA. EPA compiled the submissions into the National List of Beaches and is now making the information available to the public, as required by the BEACH Act.
The National List of Beaches is a national picture of the extent of beach monitoring which will help EPA determine how better implement the BEACH Act amendments. The List also informs the public about beaches in their state.
EPA intends to update this list periodically based on information received from states and territories. EPA will publish notice in the Federal Register of any revisions to the National List of Beaches (PDF) (3 MB, 157 pp.).
For More Information
For more information on the BEACH grants, please contact your EPA Regional beach program representative or Beth Leamond at 202-566-0444 (leamond.beth@epa.gov). Please also see our grants page.
