News Releases from Region 04

EPA Plans to Award More Than $277,000 in Beach Water Quality Monitoring Grants to South Carolina

ATLANTA – (June 27, 2018) – As peak beach season arrives in the United States, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plans to award $277,000 to South Carolina to develop and implement beach monitoring and notification programs. Nationally, EPA plans to award up to $9.3 million in total to 35 states, territories, and tribes.

“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.”

“Beach grants are a tremendous resource to help fund projects that will protect public health and keep South Carolina beaches clean,” said Region 4 Administrator Trey Glenn. “The continued success of this program helps ensure the state’s citizens and visitors alike can continue to enjoy these important resources.” 

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 is contingent upon meeting the eligibility requirements. 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 U.S. beaches, the public should contact the relevant state, tribal, or territorial beach program listed at: https://www.epa.gov/beaches/state-territorial-tribal-and-epa-beach-program-contacts.

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