The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently awarded $343,000 to the Texas General Land Office to implement the beach monitoring and notification program along the Texas coastline.
“We are doing our part to ensure that recreational waters at our beaches are safe for all who visit the Texas gulf coast,” said EPA Regional Administrator Ken McQueen. “This grant will help our State and local partners inform the public about beach water quality and provide resources for testing.”
Under the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health (BEACH) Act, EPA awards grants to eligible state, territorial and tribal applicants to help them and their local government partners monitor water quality at coastal and Great Lakes beaches. When bacteria levels are too high for safe swimming, these agencies notify the public by posting beach warnings or closing the beach. Since 2002, state and local governments, territories and tribes have used more than $167 million in EPA BEACH Act grants to monitor beaches for fecal indicator bacteria, maintain and operate public notification systems, identify local pollution sources, and report results of monitoring and notification activities to EPA.
For specific information on grants under the BEACH Act, grant guidance, and contact information for state and local beach programs, visit www.epa.gov/beach-tech/beach-grants.
To check on the latest closings and advisories at particular beaches, the public should contact the relevant state, tribal or territorial beach program listed at www.epa.gov/beaches/state-territorial-tribal-and-epa-beach-program-contacts.
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