EPA Expects to Award up to $348,000 Beach Water Quality Monitoring Grants in Texas

News Releases from Region 06

06/27/2018

Media contact: R6Press@epa.gov or 214 665-2200

DALLAS – (June 27, 2018) As peak beach season arrives in the United States, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) expects to award up to $320,000 Beach Water Quality Monitoring Grants in Texas.  Nationwide, the EPA plans to award $9.3 million in total to 35 states, territories, and tribes to develop and implement beach monitoring and notification programs.

“Enjoying the beach is a quintessential pastime for Americans every summer,” said EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. “Through EPA’s BEACH grants, we are ensuring communities across the country can keep their beaches safe and enjoyable for all.”

“Texas coastal areas are important economic and recreational assets that Texans want to protect,” said Regional Administrator Anne Idsal. “Our partnership with state and local governments protects beaches and helps ensure economic growth of the Gulf Coast Region.”

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 $157 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. Grant funding under the BEACH ACT is part of a broader EPA effort to find and eliminate sources of water pollution that contribute to beach closures.

For specific information on grants under the BEACH Act, grant guidance, and contact information for state and local beach programs, see: 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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