Region 1: EPA New England
Pollution Reduction Efforts Paying Off for New England's Beaches
Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.
By Robert W. Varney
August 2, 2004
At Warren Town Beach, repairs to a leaking sewer line by the town have resulted in significant water quality improvements at the beach this summer. Last year the Upper Narragansett Bay beach was closed on 78 days, the most of any beach in Rhode Island.
Further south in Narragansett, Scarborough Beach is also seeing cleaner water this summer -- the result of state actions last fall to curb improper waste discharges from a nearby campground. Additional improvements are expected soon now that the state is installing new outfall pipes that will capture and treat storm water runoff from three drainage areas near the beach.
Across Rhode Island and New England, a three-year-old program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has led to better monitoring programs, more aggressive pollution removal and improved public notification about swimming conditions, which have made our region's beaches safer, cleaner and more enjoyable for millions of residents and visitors.
This year, as in the past three years, EPA is providing $1.2 million to New England's five coastal states to improve water quality monitoring at beaches and better notify the public about pollution problems. Rhode Island will receive $213,000 this year.
Last summer, 230 of the region's freshwater and saltwater beaches were closed at least one day from pollution, for a total of over 1,900 missed beach days. That's a tangible improvement from 2001, when the region's coastal and freshwater beaches were closed more than 2,400 beach days. In Rhode Island, however, the number of beach day closures at saltwater beaches rose from 111 in 2001 to 385 last year. The increase is partly the result of more beaches being monitored last summer compared to 2001.
These closures are unacceptable and EPA New England, in coordination with municipalities and the states, remains committed to its Clean New England Beaches Initiative to eliminate "No Swimming" days. In addition to funding support, the initiative includes an increased focus on pollution assessment work, technical assistance and designating "Flagship" beaches that serve as models for improving beach water quality.
The initiative builds on significant improvements that have already been made in overall water quality and swimming beach monitoring programs. Rhode Island, for example, has seen enormous water quality improvements in its rivers, harbors and bays, with Upper Narragansett Bay being the most obvious example. These improvements have spawned renewed public attention on reopening areas to swimming -- attention that has led to more frequent and more sophisticated water quality monitoring to ensure that people are not at risk when they go for a swim.
Under the RI Department of Health's Bathing Beach Licensing Program, swimming beaches are closed when bacteria levels are high. Bacterial pollution can come from a variety of sources, including storm water runoff, untreated sewage, combined sewer overflows, failing septic systems, leaking sewer pipes and even animal waste from pets and wildlife. Exposure to these pollutants can cause minor illnesses such as gastroenteritis or, more rarely, serious diseases such as hepatitis.
Like the rest of New England, Rhode Island is doing a better job
of monitoring beaches and sharing the results with the public.
Up-to-date beach monitoring results can be found at the Health
Department's web site at www.health.ri.gov/environment/beaches/ 
Governor
Carcieri is also taking major steps to reduce beach closures. Among
the recommendations of the Governor's Bay Commission
is investigating and eliminating sources of pollution at beach
areas. The Health Department and other state agencies have been
directed by the Governor to develop a strategy by November for
improving 10 priority beaches.
EPA is strongly committed to helping municipalities and state agencies protect these beaches. One way is by promoting pollution assessment technologies through a newly-created regional workgroup of technical experts and scientists. We're also providing technical assistance -- and, where appropriate, enforcement support -- to help local and state agencies to identify and reduce pollution sources. A primary focus in this regard is finding nonpoint pollution sources such as leaking sewers, illicit connections and runoff which can wreak havoc on water quality both in dry weather and wet weather.
We're also looking to our Flagship beaches to lead the way -- both in setting the bar in running effective beach monitoring programs and in showing a commitment to take the tough steps necessary to eliminate pollution sources that are undermining water quality.
Warren's Town Beach is among the beaches we have in mind -- one of three "Flagship" beaches in the Ocean State, along with Goddard State Park in Warwick and the Kings Park Swim Area in Newport. Warren's strong leadership in identifying and repairing a leaking sewer pipe near Warren Town Beach has led to tangible water quality improvements. The beach was closed 78 days last summer due to pollution. This summer there have been no closures.
This kind of local support is critical in bringing an end to beach closures in New England. We'll also need help from New England's citizens. If you have a beach that has been closed due to unhealthy bacteria levels, don't accept it. Urge your local officials to diagnose the problem and then fix it! The problem could be as simple as repairing a broken sewer pipe or cleaning catch basins. We also need to act responsibly as individuals. That means picking up pet wastes, not feeding birds at the beach, properly maintaining our septic systems and disposing waste oil and other hazardous materials properly.
Only by working together can we achieve our goal of keeping all of New England's beaches healthy and safe.
Robert W. Varney is regional administrator of EPA's New England Office.