All News Releases By Date

Maryland Awarded $276, 000 EPA Beach Grant for Water Monitoring and Citizen Notification

Release Date: 7/2/2002
Contact Information: Bonnie Smith, 215-814-5543

Bonnie Smith, 215-814-5543

OCEAN CITY, Md. – With July 4 approaching and a backdrop of the Ocean City beach, the Environmental Protection Agency’s mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator, Donald S. Welsh, today announced a grant of $276,000 to help protect public health at Maryland’s beaches.

This grant to Maryland is from funds made available through the BEACH (Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health) Act of 2000. To date, $10 million has been awarded nationwide to help 35 states and territories improve their water testing and notify the public of health risks during this summer season.

“The protection of America's water is one of EPA's key mission. The nation’s coastal waters, which provide recreation and enjoyment to millions of people each year, are an integral part of our programs. EPA is proud of the Maryland partnerships that help protect this valuable resource,” said Donald Welsh, mid-Atlantic regional administrator.

Maryland’s grant money will be used to augment, refine and enhance existing beach monitoring systems with a portion of the funds being passed through to county governments for beach monitoring and public notification systems. Another portion of the funds will be used to develop a system for real-time public access to information about the conditions of the Maryland beaches.

“Enhanced beach monitoring will help us to continue Governor Glendening’s efforts to improve the environmental condition of our waters and ensure that people can enjoy Maryland’s beautiful beaches,” said Marrylin Zaw-Mon, acting secretary of the Maryland Department of the Environment.

Nationally, the beach grants range from $150,000 to $530,893. They are based the length of beach season, the miles of beaches and the number of people using the beaches. These grants funds are designed to ensure that the public receives better protection when enjoying various beaches across the country.

EPA awards beach grants to eligible states, tribes and territories to develop and implement beach water quality monitoring programs near coastal and Great Lakes recreational waters near beaches.

EPA estimates that Americans made 910 million trips to coastal areas each year, spending about $44 billion. For more information, check out the beach grants website at https://www.epa.gov/waterscience/beaches/grants/.