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And EPA's measures to -.onitor marine water quality- 

 underestimate the true health risk faced by bathers. States 

 using existing EPA guidelines decide whether their beach waters 

 are safe for swimming based on monthly averages . Waters may 

 appear safe in the long terra, but short-term violations of the 

 public health standard go unrecognized. 



These guidelines are not useful to decision-makers who need 

 to determine whether they should allow people to swim at the 

 beach tomorrow or during the coming weekend. 



The BEACH bill will help ensure the safety and beauty of 

 coastal beaches across the country by establishing uniform 

 testing and monitoring procedures for bacteria and floatables in 

 marine recreation waters. It also will require that beachgoers 

 are notified through advisories or beach closures when the 

 standard is exceeded, whether they are in my State of New Jersey, 

 which is the only state that mandates such closings by law, or in 

 any other state. 



I have heard concerns about the cost of beach monitoring. 

 But NRDC found after surveying 22 coastal states, that the costs 

 of monitoring beach water quality are miniscule when assessed in 

 light of the billions of dollars that tourists spend annually 

 visiting coastal beaches. New Jersey, for example, spends only 

 $200,000 annually for its monitoring and public notification 

 program while reaping $9.5 billion in income generated from 

 coastal tourism. 



I intend to work for inclusion of the BEACH bill in the 

 Senate's version of the Clean Water Act. I urge this Committee 

 to support this legislation and join us in recognizing the 

 importance of protecting public health at our nation's beaches. 



