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BILL SUMMARY 



The BEACH Act requires the EPA to revise water quality criteria 

 and to establish uniform standards for states to test the quality of 

 coastal recreational waters, particularly for human pathogens and 

 viruses. States would have three years to adopt the revised 

 criteria. In addition to revising water quality standards, EPA 

 would be required to publish regulations specifying monitoring 

 requirements which would specify the frequency of monitoring based 

 on the proximity to pollution sources, and the period and extent of 

 use of recreational waters. Based on revised standards, states 

 would be required to post signs on beaches to inform the public when 

 beach waters pose potential health risks. Conditions under which 

 discrete areas of coast may be exempted from monitoring are required 

 to be specified. The bill also calls for EPA and NOAA to conduct a 

 study to develop better indicators for human pathogens in coastal 

 recreation waters and to assist in the revision of water quality 

 standards. 



In addition, the bill would require EPA to publish regulations 

 on uniform assessment and monitoring procedures for floatable 

 materials in coastal recreational waters. Designed to eliminate the 

 public health hazards of floatable medical wastes and other 

 contaminated debris, the bill proposes that technical assistance be 

 provided to local authorities from coastal zone management agencies, 

 particularly with respect to non-point sources of pollution. Funds 

 could be used under Coastal Zone Management Act grants for floatable 

 clean up. 



The bill authorizes $3 million for 1994 and 1995 for EPA to make 

 grants to states to assist in establishing water quality standards 

 and for implementing water quality monitoring programs. $1 million 

 is authorized for EPA to carry out the other provisions of the bill. 



HISTORICAL BACKGROUND 



Early efforts to develop water quality guidance for coastal and 

 estuarine waters were directed toward developing criteria for 

 infectious diseases resulting from contamination of waters with 

 pathogens (bacteria and viruses present in human sewage and animal 

 wastes) . More recently, concerns about floatable wastes (material 

 and debris that may float or remain suspended in the water column 

 such as plastic materials, aluminum cans and wood) on beaches and 

 shorelines, and related concerns associated with medical wastes, 

 have come to the attention of the public. 



While bathing beaches serve as a major source of recreation 

 throughout the United States, they also have the potential for 

 disease transmission via water contact and/or ingestion. A number 

 of illnesses may result from disease-causing organisms found in 

 contaminated coastal waters, for example intestinal disorders, 

 hepatitis, skin rashes and eye infections. Although extremely rare, 

 waterborne pathogens (e.g. those associated with leptospirosis) may 

 cause death when ingested. 



Beach closures resulting from garbage washups and high bacterial 

 counts in the mid-Atlantic region during 1987 and 1988 elevated this 



