President Clinton: Strengthening Protection for Our Beaches and Coasts
October 10, 2000
President Clinton today signed new legislation to strengthen protection for
America?s beaches and coasts by requiring states to adopt coastal water
quality standards and notify the public when they are not being met.
America?s coasts are the number one family vacation destination, and these
new protections will ensure that fewer families arrive at the beach only to
discover that it is not safe to go in the water. The legislation, which
builds on the Administration?s strong record of protecting and conserving
America?s coasts and oceans, also provides assistance to states to carry
out these new efforts. The President also urged Congress to fully fund his
requests for ocean and coastal conservation programs.
Ensuring a Healthy Trip to the Beach. The President signed the Beaches
Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health Act. The act aims to improve
the health of America?s beaches and give visitors the assurance that trips
to the beach will be healthy ones. The Beach Act amends the Clean Water Act
to accomplish the following:
? Adoption of state water quality standards for coastal recreational
waters;
? A national assessment of potential health risks resulting from
exposure to pathogens in coastal recreation waters;
? Improved detection of pathogens harmful to human health;
? Improved public notice ? including beach signage ? that coastal waters
are not meeting or are not expected to meet water quality standards; and
? A publicly available database of discrete coastal recreation waters
that lists whether such waters are part of a monitoring program.
Only a few states currently comprehensively test their beaches and notify
their citizens when they are unsafe, and last year coastal states issued
thousands of beach closures and advisories. The Beach Act calls on states
to adopt minimum standards for beach water quality, regularly test beaches
for pathogens, and notify the public of unsafe conditions. The act also
includes a $30 million authorization through 2005 to assist states in
developing and implementing monitoring plans.
Safeguarding Our Oceans and Coasts. The Clinton-Gore Administration
continues to work for healthier beaches and cleaner coastal waters, greater
protection for endangered and threatened marine species, sound fisheries
management, and support for marine protected areas. To better address
long-term challenges, the President and Vice President launched the Clean
Water Action Plan, and a national dialogue leading to a comprehensive
strategy for strengthening federal ocean policy for the 21st century.
The President urged Congress to fully fund his requests for ocean and
coastal conservation programs so that communities around the country may
enjoy healthy beaches and clean waters for years to come.
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