Most Polluted Beaches

America's Most Polluted Beaches

By Courtney Pannell, Forbes.com
Aug 4th, 2009

This summer, stay away from these troubled waters.

Need a beach day? Before you pack the sunscreen and flip-flops, check to make sure your destination isn't a dump. The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) released its Testing the Waters 2009 report yesterday, chronicling which ocean, bay and Great Lakes beaches exceeded daily national contamination standards for human and animal waste in more than 25% of samples last year.
In Pictures: America's Most Polluted Beaches http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/fi/24/00/04.jpgIn several places, the situation isn't pretty--but chances are you weren't going to these beaches anyway, as many of the worst ones are well-documented repeat offenders.
Places like Shired Island, Fla., and North Point Marina North Beach, Ill., have been on this list since 2005, putting up contamination exceedance numbers of 90% and 61% this year, respectively. The top 10 are ranked, here, according to the percentage of tests that exceeded acceptable contamination levels.
The report also details the number of closing and advisory days at U.S. beaches. This year's total, over 20,000, is the fourth-highest level in the history of the report. The highest number of reported closing and advisory days was over 24,000 in 2006, but Nancy Stoner, co-director of the water program at the Natural Resources Defense Council, says that this isn't necessarily because beaches are getting cleaner. It's because there's less monitoring.
"Places ran out of money," she says.
Money for beach monitoring and improvement comes from a combination of federal and state funding, Stoner says; states will often match federal grants for state monitoring and public notification systems. But even with sufficient funding, factors like population growth, development and climate largely determine a beach's pollution level. And, ultimately, Mother Nature holds the remote control.
For instance, high storm-water levels, fewer wave actions and straight-from-city water flow all contribute to pollution levels. Lackluster storm water and sewage systems aggravate the problem, as storm-water runoff had a hand in two-thirds of closings and advisories last year.
Still, Stoner says that overall contaminated samples have remained stagnant at 7%, and that improvements are possible, starting with the standards by which the Environmental Protection Agency conducts its tests. With NRDC pressure, the EPA has agreed to update its policies by 2012; they were formulated based on research performed in the 1970s and 1980s.
The EPA update is two-tiered: re-evaluating the bacterial indicators of contamination and improving the speed with which samples are analyzed. Right now, testing indicates only human or animal waste, and it takes over 24 hours to receive results. Under the new standards, more contaminants will be measured, and test results will be available in just a few hours to help speed up beach advisories and closures.
Until improvements are made, however, be vigilant in deciding which beach to visit. Rather than rely on test results, Stoner says common sense can be one of the best indicators. Be aware of recent rainfall and advisories when selecting a beach destination, and ask yourself: "Am I going to get sick when swimming in this?"
Top 5 of America's Most Polluted Beaches

1. Shired Island, Dixie County, Fla.
Monitoring Frequency: Once a week
2008 Total Samples: 29
Percent Exceedance: 90%
2. Kings at Stacy Brook, Essex County, Mass.
Monitoring Frequency: Once a week
2008 Total Samples: 25
Percent Exceedance: 72%
3. Jeorse Park Beach I, Lake County, Ind.
Monitoring Frequency: Five times per week
2008 Total Samples: 73
Percent Exceedance: 67%
4. Cockle Cove Creek-Parking Lot, Barnstable County, Mass.
Monitoring Frequency: Once a week
2008 Total Samples: 13
Percent Exceedance: 62%
5. Dekle Beach, Taylor County, Fla.
Monitoring Frequency: Once a week
2008 Total Samples: 21
Percent Exceedance: 62%
In Pictures: America's Most Polluted Beaches