105 



The public has the right to i<now when it is safe and when it is not safe to go 

 to the beach, whether that beach is located at Cape May or Cape Cod or Cape 

 Hatteras. New Jersey provides this protection to its citizens and visitors, but most 

 States are not doing enough to ensure the health and safety of their beaches. And 

 the situation is not likely to improve unless Congress enacts legislation to establish 

 minimum standards for monitoring coastal waters. 



Currently, States with lax monitoring programs enjoy a public relations and 

 financial advantage over New Jersey and other States with stringent monitoring 

 programs. Less frequent monitoring and less stringent standards makes it less likely 

 that bacteria levels sufficient to trigger a beach closure or health advisory will be 

 detected. And, because the beaches in States with lax programs tend to be closed 

 or posted less often, the public gets the mistaken impression that these States have 

 cleaner beaches, which can translate into more tourist revenues. 



New Jersey is trying to swim against this tide, but it hasn't always been easy 

 to keep our heads above water. During the summers of 1987 and 1988, beach 

 closures mandated by New Jersey's strict standards cost our State's economy an 

 estimated $1 billion in lost tourist income. 



Since then. New Jersey has managed to avoid a repeat of those disastrous 

 summers by taking a number of actions to keep our beaches and coastal waters clean 

 and safe. In the past few years, we have worked aggressively to upgrade our sewage 

 treatment facilities. We have also ended the practice of disposing of sewage sludge 

 by dumping it into the ocean. Our strict beach monitoring program has also helped 

 to identify broken pipes and other sources of accidental sewage discharge, so we can 

 act quickly to eliminate these sources. And, through our landmark pollution 

 prevention law and clean water enforcement program. New Jersey is using a 

 combination of incentives and penalties to reduce the discharge of pollutants into our 

 coastal and inland waters. 



Even though we have made significant progress in improving the quality of our 

 coastal waters, the prospect that our strict beach closure standards will drive tourists 

 to beaches in States with lesser standards remains a serious concern. Tourism is our 

 State's second largest industry, with beaches and coastal recreation representing a 

 major source of revenue and over 300,000 jobs. In fact, more than half of New 

 Jersey's $18 billion tourist economy comes from four coastal counties which contain 

 the prime beaches and recreational areas known as the Jersey Shore. 



Competition for this lucrative market may account for the fact that only a few 

 States have followed New Jersey's example and implemented stringent beach 

 monitoring programs. In fact, recent data shows there was less monitoring conducted 

 in 1992 than in prior years. If States and localities are not providing adequate 

 protection for ocean bathers, then Congress needs to step in and establish uniform. 



