There was a proposal on deck to change the state's beach closure rule to only close beaches after a second bacteria test comes back high (at most beaches), rather than issuing a closure after 1 high test, which is how it is currently done.
The Chapter asked the Board of Health to reject this plan in order to better protect the beach and public safety.
Unfortunately, the Board accepted the proposed amendments… but the EPA released new guidelines that, if passed, would trump the state rules for water quality testing and beach closure. Stay tuned to Surfrider Foundation's Coastal Blog for updates on the EPA's proposal.