BEACH Act Funding Saved for 2019

We all rely on regular water quality monitoring at the beach to ensure that the water is clean and safe.  A day at the beach should be fun and enjoyable and not cause you or your family to get sick.  

Fortunately, massive budget cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed by the President’s Budget proposal for 2019, including the complete elimination of the BEACH Act Grants program, were not included in the final budget deal approved by Congress and signed by the President.  This critical program helps coastal states pay for their beach water quality monitoring and public notification programs so beachgoers know where it is safe to surf and swim. 

More than half of our coastal states, depend solely on their federal BEACH Grant to pay for their beach monitoring programs. Without this continued federal support, many states will be forced to stop testing all together, leaving residents and visitors alike, unknowingly at risk of exposure to bacteria and other disease causing pollutants.  

The Surfrider Foundation and our coalition partners are thankful thatCongress once again appropriated sufficient funding to the EPA so that it can continue to do its job of protecting the environment and public health. More information on the critical environmental programs that were saved that protect clean water and public health here.