NRDC Water Program Attorney Noah Garrison speaks at the 2012 Testing the Waters Press Conference
Protect the beach, protect beach-goers
The EPA is supposed to be keeping beachgoers and ocean-lovers safe from polluted water. This year they will be updating their 25 year-old “recreational water quality criteria” to protect public health on the beaches, which is great. Unfortunately, the proposed revisions do not do nearly enough to keep us from getting sick. These weak standards would consider 1 in 28 swimmers contracting a bacterial gastro-intestinal illness as “acceptable risk”. Tens of thousands of people have taken action by joining NRDC in asking EPA to strengthen these standards to keep us safe from dirty water at the beach, and you can too.
One major thing cities can do to address beach pollution right now is to reduce stormwater runoff. Green infrastructure can help reduce the crud that washes into the ocean off of the streets of our towns and cities. Surfers, let’s be honest: who can wait 72 hours after a rainfall when the storm surf is up? Many people will be out there regardless of the health warnings, making it all the more crucial to keep the pollution and bacteria from reaching the sea. Let’s see more green roofs, permeable pavement, and other green infrastructure implemented in our coastal urban areas and bathe in the health benefits of a cleaner ocean.
