News Releases from Headquarters›Water (OW)
EPA Plans to Award up to $9.3 Million in Beach Water Quality Monitoring Grants
WASHINGTON — As peak beach season arrives in the United States, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plans to award up to $9.3 million in total to 39 states, territories, and tribes to develop and implement beach monitoring and notification programs.
“Enjoying the beach is a quintessential pastime for Americans every summer,” said EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. “Through EPA’s BEACH grants, we are ensuring communities across the country can keep their beaches safe and enjoyable for all.”
Under the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health (BEACH) Act, EPA awards grants to eligible state, territorial and tribal applicants to help them and their local government partners monitor water quality at coastal and Great Lakes beaches. When bacteria levels are too high for safe swimming, these agencies notify the public by posting beach warnings or closing the beach. Since 2002, state and local governments, territories, and tribes have used more than $157 million in EPA BEACH Act grants to monitor beaches for fecal indicator bacteria, maintain and operate public notification systems, identify local pollution sources, and report results of monitoring and notification activities to EPA. Grant funding under the BEACH ACT is part of a broader EPA effort to find and eliminate sources of water pollution that contribute to beach closures.
EPA’s 2018 BEACH Act grant funding, contingent upon meeting the eligibility requirements, will be allocated to the following states, territories, and tribes:
EPA Region 1
Connecticut $211,500
Maine $240,500
Massachusetts $240,500
New Hampshire $192,000
Rhode Island $201,500
EPA Region 2
New Jersey $250,000
New York $311,000
Puerto Rico $316,000
U.S. Virgin Islands $272,000
EPA Region 3
Delaware $206,000
Maryland $240,000
Pennsylvania $213,000
Virginia $244,000
EPA Region 4
Alabama $257,000
Florida $432,000
Georgia $271,000
Mississippi $254,000
North Carolina $280,000
South Carolina $277,000
EPA Region 5
Illinois $225,000
Indiana $203,000
Michigan $245,000
Minnesota $202,000
Ohio $214,000
Wisconsin $215,000
Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians $50,000
Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa $50,000
EPA Region 6
Louisiana $320,000
Texas $348,000
EPA Region 9
American Samoa $301,000
California $425,000
Guam $301,000
Hawaii $313,000
Northern Mariana Islands $302,000
EPA Region 10
Alaska $150,000
Oregon $217,000
Washington $241,000
Swinomish Indian Tribal Community $50,000
Makah Tribe of the Makah Indian Reservation $50,000
For specific information on grants under the BEACH Act, grant guidance, and contact information for state and local beach programs, see: www.epa.gov/beach-tech/beach-grants.
To check on the latest closings and advisories at particular beaches, the public should contact the relevant state, tribal, or territorial beach program listed at: www.epa.gov/beaches/state-territorial-tribal-and-epa-beach-program-contacts.