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It's A Bird. It's A Plane. It's EPA's Coastal Crusader

Release Date: 05/27/1999
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(#99086) NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Keep your eyes to the sky. As tens of thousands of area residents head for the beach this Memorial Day weekend, EPA's environmental sampling and surveillance helicopter, "The Coastal Crusader," will begin its summer vigil, flying along New Jersey and New York beaches making sure the water is clean. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, EPA scientists use the bell 212 helicopter to take hundreds of water samples, which are analyzed in EPA's lab, and to keep a watchful eye out for floating debris that could spoil summer fun. The results are shared with local communities to help them determine if beach closures are necessary. Garbage slicks are immediately reported to the U.S. Corps of Engineers, which dispatches vessels to skim the debris from the water and prevent wash-ups on bathing beaches.

"When you head for the beaches this year, keep an eye out for the helicopter," said William J. Muszynski, EPA Region 2 Deputy Administrator. "The Coastal Crusader is making sure that your beach experience is a safe and pleasurable one."

All area coastal waters have been in very good shape in recent years, thanks in large part to the efforts of federal, state and local governments to control the sources of pollution. Working cooperatively, they have established a network, which includes EPA's helicopter, to monitor and immediately respond to any potential pollution problems that could affect New York's and New Jersey's beaches. Less than fifteen years ago, area beaches and coastal waters were plagued with high bacterial levels, huge algal blooms and extensive garbage and medical waste wash-ups. These incidents are now very rare.

Information about some area beaches can be obtained through EPA's new web site, Beach Watch at https://www.epa.gov/ost/beaches

For more information contact:
Mary Mears, Press Office
EPA Region 2
290 Broadway
NY, NY 10007-1866
Voice: 212-637-3669 FAX: 212-637-5046 E-Mail: mears.mary@epamail.epa.gov