Beach
Act
The
Beaches
Environmental
Assessment
and
Coastal
Health
Act
(
BEACH
Act),
signed
in
October
2002,
is
intended
to
reduce
the
risk
of
disease
to
users
of
coastal
recreational
waters.

Purpose:
The
BEACH
Act
authorizes
EPA
to
award
grants
to
eligible
coastal
and
Great
Lake
States
and
tribes
for
the
development
and
implementation
of
programs
to
monitor
coastal
recreational
waters
for
disease­
causing
microorganisms
and
to
notify
the
public
when
monitoring
indicates
a
public
health
hazard.
To
be
eligible
for
the
implementation
grants,
states
must
establish
and
operate
monitoring
and
notification
programs
that
are
consistent
with
performance
criteria
provided
by
EPA.
This
information
is
reported
to
EPA
and
maintained
in
a
database
(
see
"
Results"
section
below).

Chemicals:
The
program
addresses
disease­
causing
microorganisms
(
pathogens
and
pathogen
indicators)
in
coastal
recreational
waters.
It
requires
(
by
April
10,
2004)
that
states
with
coastal
recreation
waters
adopt
water
quality
criteria
and
standards
for
pathogens
and
pathogen
indicators
for
which
EPA
has
published
criteria
 
this
refers
to
EPA's
1986
Water
Quality
Criteria
for
Bacteria.
States
are
required
to
adopt
new
or
revised
standards
for
coastal
recreation
waters
not
later
than
36
months
after
EPA
publishes
new
or
revised
criteria
guidance
for
pathogens
and
pathogen
indicators.
Finally,
EPA
is
required
to
publish
new
or
revised
water
quality
criteria
guidance
for
pathogens
in
such
waters
not
later
than
October
10,
2005
and
to
review
these
criteria
at
least
once
every
5
years
thereafter.
If
a
State
fails
to
adopt
criteria
and
standards
for
pathogens
and
pathogen
indicators
that
are
as
protective
of
human
health
as
EPA
criteria,
EPA
will
propose
regulations
setting
forth
revised
criteria
and
standards.
The
Beaches
web
site
contains
a
summary,
as
of
September
1997,
of
the
Bacterial
Water
Quality
Standards
being
used
by
each
State
(
www.
epa.
gov/
waterscience/
beaches/
local/
sum2.
html).

Sample
Locations:
As
a
condition
for
obtaining
a
grant,
each
state,
tribe,
or
local
government
shall:
(
1)
list
coastal
recreational
waters
adjacent
to
beaches
used
by
the
public;
(
2)
identify
the
delegation
process
(
in
cases
where
States
delegate
responsibilities
and
provide
funding
to
local
governments
to
implement
a
program);
(
3)
identify
monitoring
and
assessment
methods
including
frequency
and
location
of
monitoring;
and
(
4)
identify
procedures
for
communicating
risk
to
the
public.
"
Coastal
Recreation
Waters"
includes
the
Great
Lakes
and
marine
coastal
waters
(
including
coastal
estuaries)
that
are
designated
under
section
303(
c)
by
a
State
for
use
for
swimming,
bathing,
surfing,
or
similar
water
contact
activities.
The
term
does
not
include
inland
waters
or
waters
upstream
of
the
mouth
of
a
river
or
stream
having
an
unimpaired
natural
connection
with
the
open
sea.

Sample
Design:
States
are
asked
to
prioritize
use
of
grant
funds
based
on
use
of
the
water
and
risk
to
human
health,
and
identify
the
factors
considered
in
setting
these
priorities;
develop
a
list
of
waters
not
subject
to
the
monitoring
and
notification
program
due
to
fiscal
constraints;
and
provide
an
opportunity
for
public
comment
on
this
prioritization.
Monitoring
is
conducted
only
during
the
use
season.
Study
Duration:
EPA
made
funds
available
beginning
in
2001
to
help
States
develop
their
programs.
Currently
only
2001
monitoring
data
are
available.
The
program
is
on­
going
and
data
will
be
collected
each
year
during
the
swimming
season.

Results:
Results
are
collected
in
an
annual
voluntary
survey
of
State
and
local
agencies
that
monitor
water
quality
at
beaches.
The
National
Health
Protection
Survey
of
Beaches
collects
information
showing
which
local
beaches
are
monitored
and
what
agencies
are
responsible
for
beach
programs.
The
survey
collects
detailed
information
about
the
type
of
monitoring
done,
the
results
of
the
monitoring
and
any
advisories
or
closures
at
specific
beaches.
See
Attachment
#
1
for
an
example
of
the
information
available
from
the
survey
as
well
as
the
entire
draft
data
element
list.
The
Act
requires
that
EPA
produce
a
report
to
Congress
every
four
years.

Contact:
Charles
Kovatch;
OST/
SHPD
(
202)
566­
0399
Short­
term
Followup:

Long­
term
Followup:
