Surfrider Foundation: MAKING WAVES

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Our U.S. Congress needs to pass the BEACH Bill	National Water Quality Standards for All! by Darryl Hatheway MAKING WAVES, April/May 1999

In March, Congress kicked its environmental agenda into high gear and saw to it that the Beaches Environmental Assessment, Closure and Health Act (H.R. 950 and S. 522) and Beaches Environmental Assessment, Cleanup and Health Act (H.R. 999) were introduced to help establish a National standard for beach water quality testing and notification. No, it is not a mis-print, there are more than one B.E.A.C.H. bill in the House of Representatives. Yes, they are very similar to each other and to the bill that Surfrider provided testimony for during the 105th Congress. So, what is the difference and what is going to happen next?
     Both H.R. 950 and H.R. 999 will establish a National standard for B.E.A.C.H. water quality testing and notification, except the proposed H.R. 950 method of implementing the program is by way of mandate versus the voluntary program proposed in H.R. 999. The bottom line is that, whether the program is mandated and funded for the Environmental Protection Agency to implement or it is a voluntary program adopted and implemented by State or local agencies, it needs to happen now!
     "A day at the beach shouldn't be followed by a day at the doctor," stated Senator Frank Lautenburg from New Jersey.
     Although common sense would tell us all that it is logical to test and notify on B.E.A.C.H. water quality (including it being the public's right to know), the National Research Defense Council reported in 1998 that there are only 8 States that comprehensively test beach water quality and notify the public, while 5 States do nothing at all. This is not acceptable! With still over 4,000 closings of recreational beaches in 1997, we have to have National legislation to eliminate the inconsistency in current procedures, which vary from State to State and city to city.
     The Surfrider Foundation Board of Directors have voted to make it their national campaign for 1999 to educate our members about the need for such legislation. Surfrider Foundation will be working with such groups as; American Oceans Campaign and Center for Marine Conservation, in order to spread the word about this important legislation.
     Ted Danson, President of American Oceans Campaign and supporter of the B.E.A.C.H. bill stated that "all recreational B.E.A.C.H. waters should be tested consistently and the public should be informed when the waters are unsafe."
     Every public beach recreational area should be held to the same standard and responsibility to test and notify, and those that don't should be put on public display for their inaction and embarrassed into action. This is another component of both B.E.A.C.H. bills, creation of a National listing of all the States, Counties, and Cities complying with the intent of the legislation.
     At present, both B.E.A.C.H. bills are active in the House Sub-Committee on Water Resources and the Environment within the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. A mark-up of H.R. 999 is expected soon and by the time you read this the bill may be ready for a House floor vote and referred to the Senate for consideration and conferencing. Regardless of which legislation moves forward, Gary Sirota, Surfrider San Diego Chapter member and past-President of the Surfrider National Board of Directors commented that "Surfrider recognizes the implication of clean water on both the health and safety of the public, as well as on the local economies of coastal population centers." The legislation is critically important to all the coastal communities, and all the surfers and recreational users of the ocean. Therefore, you can count on Surfrider being out there in front to continue tracking of and working for the B.E.A.C.H. bill for us all until it is passed into law - hopefully during this 106th Congress.

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