BARNSTABLE – The Environmental Protection Agency is awarding $254,000 in grants to support water quality monitoring and public notification programs for beachgoers in Massachusetts.
Administered through the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health, or BEACH Act, the funds help municipalities and government partners equip themselves so that when bacteria levels are too high for safe swimming, beach advisories can be posted, and beaches closed.
The grants are determined based on the length of the beach season, the miles of shoreline, and the populations of coastal communities.
Additionally, grantees must meet 11 performance criteria for monitoring, assessment, and notification to maintain eligibility.
“It is such an exciting time of the year for everyone to get outdoors and head out to waterways to have fun and cool off. The last thing anyone wants to have to think about, is it it’s safe to go in the water,” said EPA Regional Administrator David W. Cash.
“With the BEACH Act funding,” he said, “Massachusetts residents can have the peace of mind that our water quality at beaches is being monitored and protected, and we are all working together to make this summer the best it can be and focus on splashing in the waves and soaking up the sun…with sunscreen, of course.”
Since 2001, the EPA has awarded almost $230 million in BEACH Act grants to public entities at coastal and Great Lakes beaches.
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