Jul 29, 2009 11:00 am US/Eastern
Report: Day At The Beach Remains Hazardous In U.S.
Report: Water Seriously Polluted, Jeopardizing Swimmers' Health; Beach Closings Top 20,000 for 4th Straight Year
LOS ANGELES (CBS News) ―
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A report on water quality at U.S. beaches shows a 10 percent decrease in closing or advisory days last year compared to 2007, but indicates pollution remains serious. (File)
WBZ
A report on water quality at U.S. beaches shows a 10 percent decrease in closing or advisory days last year compared to 2007, but indicates pollution remains serious.
The Natural Resources Defense Council says in Wednesday's report that there were 20,341 days on which ocean, bay and Great Lakes beaches were closed or were the subject of health advisories.
That's the fourth year in a row that the number has topped 20,000.
"Pollution from dirty stormwater runoff and sewage overflows continues to make its way to our beaches. This not only makes swimmers sick - it hurts coastal economies," said Nancy Stoner, NRDC Water Program Co-Director.
Click here to read the full report
Rain plays a big role in flushing pollutants into the oceans, but last year it was relatively dry in California, Hawaii and from Delaware to the southeastern states and the Gulf of Mexico.
The NRDC also says some of the overall decline was due to decreased funding for monitoring.
Five-Star Beaches include:
- Gulf Shores Public Beach (Alabama),
- Laguna Beach-Main Beach, Bolsa Chica State Beach, Newport Beach (California)
- Ocean City (Maryland),
- Park Point - Community Club Beach in Duluth (Minnesota)
- Hampton Beach State Park in Rockingham County (New Hampshire)
One-Star Beaches include:
- Zach's Bay at Jones Beach State Park in Wantagh (New York)
- Ocean Beach Park in New London (Connecticut)
- Venice Public Beach (Florida)
- Central Beach in Point Pleasant (New Jersey)
Wetter than usual conditions increased closings and advisories in the Great Lakes, New England and the New York-New Jersey region.
"Nobody wants their trip to the beach to send them to the bathroom or, worse, the emergency room," said Stoner. "It is vitally important to remember that if it has recently rained - or you see or smell a pipe discharging onto the beach - keep your head above water or avoid swimming altogether."
(© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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