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information on water quality in coastal areas available to 

 beach-goers. For the first time, Americans will be able to 

 determine which beaches have real problems with dangerous 

 pollution, and they will be able to compare beaches to 

 determine which are the safest. 



New Jersey beaches have nothing to fear from these 

 comparisons. New Jersey has, I believe, one of the most 

 extensive and effective water testing programs in the 

 country. New Jersey tests its water on a weekly basis. Many 

 states test their water less frequently, or average the 

 results of repeated tests, thus obscuring short term, 

 intermittent or weather-dependent contamination. In New 

 Jersey we find out about the short term pollution problems, 

 and we take steps to protect people from possible health 

 risks. 



Mr. Chairman, some will complain that rigorous testing 

 will do nothing to clean the water. I think that view is 

 short sighted. To reduce the contamination of our coastal 

 waters we must know the dimensions of the problem. Where are 

 our beach waters unsafe? When do the unsafe conditions 

 occur? Answers to those questions can be used, as they 

 already have been in New Jersey, to track down pollution 

 sources and eliminate them. Furthermore, these naysayers 

 underestimate the power of publicity. If a beach Is closed 

 because of polluted water, or if people stop visiting the 



