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July 14, 2006

Feds give R.I. $212K to monitor beach pollution

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded Rhode Island a $212,640 federal grant this morning as part of the agency’s “It’s a Shore Thing” campaign.

The EPA initiative is an effort to ensure healthy water quality at New England beaches. Over five years, the EPA has awarded Rhode Island $1.1 million to support and expand the state’s beach monitoring programs.

Government agencies in Rhode Island have stepped up efforts in the last decade to ensure that people are swimming at clean, healthy beaches, according to the EPA..

Back in 1994, just 165 water samples were analyzed from 16 freshwater and 28 saltwater beaches. Between 2001 and 2002, aided by the Federal Beach Act, an additional 800 water samples tested 67 saltwater beach locations, according to the EPA. In 2004, a total of 2,700 samples were analyzed from 118 locations.

Check the state health department’s website for information on beach closures and advisories in Rhode Island.

Posted by Kate Bramson  at 11:48 AM | Permalink

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