Steven Kuykendall: “today we celebrate Earth Day. It is only fitting that we take up this piece of legislation today as it deals with one of…”

“today we celebrate Earth Day. It is only fitting that we take up this piece of legislation today as it deals with one of the most significant components of our environment, the coastal and recreational waters. Each year millions of tourists flock to our beaches, and in Los Angeles County alone our tourism industry is worth about $13 billion in average revenue. The beaches in that county generate most of that, and three or four of those beaches are in my district: Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, household names in our area. They play a significant role in generating that revenue. There are real economic consequences that stem from protecting our environment, particularly the water resources. Helping build the public's confidence in the quality of this water will ensure its protection in the future. The BEACH bill will help build this confidence in beaches across the country by establishing a uniform national standard. The bill will also allow local communities to tailor the monitoring and notification that meet their unique regional needs, and it provides incentives, not mandates, to meet the national criteria, incentives that take the form of grants from the Federal Government to implement monitoring and notification programs. In other words, instead of dictating to each jurisdiction how to meet a national standard, the Federal Government will give them flexibility and help cover part of the cost. This is unprecedented environmental regulation.”