William R. Richardson: “when Congress passed the BEACH Act in 2000, it took an important step towards keeping Americans, of which a large…”

“when Congress passed the BEACH Act in 2000, it took an important step towards keeping Americans, of which a large majority are ill-prepared children, away from polluted beaches. As a proud Californian, I understand how critical clean and safe beaches are to our State's health, identity and economy. As with airplanes or even drinking water, Americans trust our government to alert them in the event of a safety concern. I thank Chairman Oberstar, and also our great subcommittee chairwoman, Ms. Johnson from Texas, for shepherding this important public health and safety bill to the House floor. This is a vital reauthorization that includes an expansion of the BEACH program by increasing the authorization level by $10 million. This program is most effective when properly administered if the program maintains adequate funding levels and a product result that demonstrates that the resources are well utilized. The Environmental Protection Agency reported that States significantly increased the number of beaches they monitored from approximately 1,000 in 1997 to more than 3,500 in 2004. There are over 6,099 beaches nationwide. When the EPA became lenient in the beach monitoring back in 2006, the Natural Resources Defense Council filed a lawsuit against the EPA to protect our public health concerns. Ongoing or periodic monitoring is crucial to maintaining a safe environment.”