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national beach monitoring standards. 



Five years ago, when wash-ups of medical waste and other debris caused a 

 rash of beach closings in New Jersey and other Atlantic Coast States, Congress 

 demonstrated its ability to take action in response to this crisis. As a member of 

 Congress at that time, I strongly supported Federal legislation to protect beaches and 

 coastal waters through greater regulation of medical waste and by ending ocean 

 dumping of sewage sludge. In spite of these efforts, floatable debris and sewage- 

 associated wastes continue to pose a threat to coastal areas, particularly those in the 

 mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions. 



The problems we face today may be less visible but they are no less serious 

 than what we confronted five summers ago. Instead of syringes washing ashore, 

 microscopic bacteria and viruses now pose the greatest hazard to ocean bathers. 

 And, even though we have ended the deliberate dumping of sewage into the ocean, 

 sewage wastes still find their way into our coastal waters via periodic sewage 

 overflows and bypasses. 



When it comes to protecting the safety of our beaches and oceans, we cannot 

 afford to stick our heads in the sand and ignore the hazards of bathing in bacteria- 

 infested waters. The State of New Jersey stands ready to do its part, but we cannot 

 go it alone. Because ocean pollution does not recognize State borders, we need the 

 Congress and all the coastal States to work together in this effort. 



H.R. 31 provides a framework to make this happen. By establishing minimum 

 beach monitoring standards that apply nationwide, this legislation ensures that all 

 States will regularly monitor their beaches for harmful levels of bacteria and viruses. 

 At the same time, it provides States with flexibility to tailor their monitoring programs 

 to local conditions, so long as the minimum Federal standards are met. 



New Jersey has had uniform beach monitoring standards in place for nearly a 

 decade, and we have found them to be both effective and affordable. In addition to 

 the public health benefits our standards provide, we have recently begun to discover 

 how a vigilant beach monitoring program and a healthy beach economy go hand-in- 

 hand. As our monitoring has documented the steady improvement of our coastal 

 waters in recent years, the public has gained confidence in the safety of our beaches 

 and is returning to the Jersey Shore in increasing numbers. Based on New Jersey's 

 experience, we can expect the adoption of national beach monitoring standards to 

 provide a similar boost for tourism in beach communities nationwide. 



For these reasons, I strongly urge the Committee and the entire Congress to 

 support H.R. 31 . The time has come to extend the protections New Jersey currently 

 provides for ocean bathers to beaches throughout the United States. 



