WASHINGTON, D.C., Oct. 10, 2000—President Clinton has signed new legislation to strengthen protection for America's beaches and coasts by requiring states to adopt coastal water quality standards and notify the public when they are not being met.
America's coasts are the number one family vacation destination, and these new protections will ensure that fewer families arrive at the beach only to discover that it is not safe to go in the water, according to the president's press office. The legislation also provides assistance to states to carry out these new efforts.
Clinton also urged Congress to fully fund his requests for ocean and coastal conservation programs.
The Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health Act amends the Clean Water Act to accomplish the following:
- Adoption of state water quality standards for coastal recreational waters;
- A national assessment of potential health risks resulting from exposure to pathogens in coastal recreation waters;
- Improved detection of pathogens harmful to human health;
- Improved public notice, including beach signage, that coastal waters are not meeting or are not expected to meet water quality standards; and
- A publicly available database of discrete coastal recreation waters that lists whether such waters are part of a monitoring program.
Only a few states currently comprehensively test their beaches and notify their citizens when they are unsafe, and last year coastal states issued thousands of beach closures and advisories. The Beach Act calls on states to adopt minimum standards for beach water quality, regularly test beaches for pathogens, and notify the public of unsafe conditions.
The act also includes a $30 million authorization through 2005 to assist states in developing and implementing monitoring plans. Safeguarding Our Oceans and Coasts.
