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EPA ADMINISTRATOR VISITS HAWAII PRESENTS $2 MILLION CHECK REPRESENTING CLEAN BEACH COMMITMENT

Release Date: 8/27/2001
Contact Information: Mike Ardito, U.S. EPA, (415)744-2328, Dean Higuchi, U.S. EPA, (808) 541-2711

     SAN FRANCISCO   EPA Administrator Christie Whitman today presented a $2 million ceremonial check to State Environmental Commissioners from coastal and Great Lakes states during a visit to Honolulu, Hawaii. The check represents funding that Whitman is releasing in grant money, to help them improve monitoring and public notification of human health risks at beaches.  Grant money will be received by states over the next few months.
 
     "Most people in the United States think of Hawaii as having beautiful beaches - and I think we can all agree they are correct," said Administrator Whitman. "However beaches across the country face a growing number of threats. As more and more people move to coastal areas - and visit on vacation - pollution continues to threaten recreational waters. The EPA is excited to work with our coastal and Great Lake states to protect water quality at our beaches."
     
     To date, 29 coastal and Great Lakes states and five U.S. Territories have applied for the funds. Eligible states can use the funds to develop programs to monitor water quality at their beaches and to notify the public when water quality problems are detected.

     The funds are available under a new federal law passed by Congress last October, the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health Act (BEACH Act).  The new law established a national program for monitoring beach water quality and notifying the public of unsafe conditions.
     
     This summer, EPA is taking public comment and has held five public forums on draft national  monitoring criteria to ensure nationally consistent beach water quality.  

     In 2000, in response to EPA's annual National Beach Health Survey, states voluntarily submitted data on approximately 2000 beaches.  One-third of the reported beaches issued a beach advisory or closing at least once during the swimming season.
     
     EPA estimates that Americans make a total of 910 million trips to coastal areas each year, spending about $44 billion.

     The surveys and additional beach information, including information for states interested in applying for the beach grants, are available on EPA's beach Web site at:
https://www.epa.gov/ost/beaches.