Nancy Stoner's Blog: Curbing Pollution

Joining together to clean up the Bay

2009-12-22T19:09:35Z

Growing up in Virginia, I gained an early appreciation of the region's farming history. The rich soils through the Piedmont and the Shenandoah Valley (where my family lived) have nurtured crops and livestock for hundreds of years, and it's not uncommon for one family to plant the same fields for six or seven generations or more.

That's why I pay attention when local farmers describe the drastic decline they have witnessed in farming and in the water resources that support farming. These men and women know the region better than most, and they have a front-row seat on the collapse of the streams that feed the Bay.

One farmer, David Blake of Buckland Farm in Warrenton, VA, comes from fifteen generations of farmers in Virginia and Maryland. In his mid-forties, Blake described the change he has seen in his lifetime:

"I have watched vast areas I knew well transformed by suburban development and tributaries we hunted/fished have died as poultry-agribusinesses changed farming practices. These changes brought with them devastation to the small farmer, the once-thriving seafood industry, watermen, and the small towns we all supported have nearly disappeared."

Blake wrote those words in a letter to Congress in support of the Chesapeake Bay Clean Water and Restoration Act of 2009. The bill is designed to clean up the soaring levels of pollution that are choking the bay and endangering the livelihoods of fishermen, owners of beach tourism businesses, and small farmers like David Black.

The guiding principle behind the bill is that every pollution source must do its fair share to help clean it up. This includes suburban communities and industries, but it also includes farmers.

Dirty runoff from farms is responsible for about half of the pollution in the Bay.

I have experienced some of that pollution first hand. Many times over the years, I have gone tubing or canoeing down the Shenandoah River and its tributaries only to find myself literally floating in cow pies. It was disgusting, but not just a nuisance to local citizens and an impediment to the tourism industry, but also a key contributor to the dead zones that leave major sections of the Chesapeake Bay lifeless in the summer.

It doesn't have to be this way. There are many proven and affordable ways to keep manure out of streams that can be integrated into current farming practices--solutions that will sustain farms and clean the Bay at the same time.

That's why Blake wrote in his letter, "Every farmer I know is very much in support of this bill and would ask that you all please do the same. We must not let another generation, as has my own, watch the environmental health of this remarkable asset continue to decline. I hope and pray that future generations will say that it was you who finally stood up to do what is right."

Unfortunately, agribusiness lobbyists don't appear to be consulting the farmers that Blake knows and who are eager to do the right thing. Some of them believe that farmers should have the right to choose not to clean up their part of the mess.

They want to continue on the current path of little or no pollution control, even though that path leads directly into a trashed Bay that will soon be unable to support the seafood or tourism industries.

The lobbyists may be looking out only for themselves and their richest clients, not the farmers in the region--as Blake illustrates. Many farmers in the region support the Chesapeake Bay bill. They want to see the bay cleaned up for future generations, and they are willing to do their part. Now it's time for them to follow Blake's lead and let their views be known to their elected officials.

EPA unveils new federal strategy for cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay

2009-11-09T17:09:40Z

Today, after several weeks of obtaining public comment, officials from EPA released a final strategy to improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay. The strategy follows an Executive Order from President Obama in June that challenged federal agencies to better assist states in cleaning up the streams and rivers that feed into the Chesapeake Bay.

Despite decades of work and billions in spending, Bay states have not yet met water-quality goals. Nutrient pollution from lawns and parking lots, agricultural crop production and large-scale animal feedlots and sewage continue to leave Bay waters unsafe for fishing, drinking and swimming. New landscape conservation techniques, monitoring technologies and adaptation and research on the effect of climate change on the Bay are needed to restore and protect the watershed. The past has shown us that states can't do it without the assistance and leadership of the federal government. Today's draft strategy outlines a strong new framework for cleaning up our waters and better targeting federal dollars to assist Bay states.

Accountability is a core component of EPA's plan. For too long, clean up efforts have been largely incentive-based and voluntary, so participation has been low. In other cases, there has been little or no enforcement - so pollution controls have gone ignored without penalty. Under the new strategy, states would create specific implementation plans with clear, enforceable deadlines along the way to ensure that our waterways are clean by 2025. Publicly available tracking and reporting programs would help rebuild public confidence while focusing resources on strategic priorities. Failure to make progress would bring consequences.

Another key provision of the plan would require aging stormwater systems and factory farms - leading sources of Bay pollution that have not been required to clean up - to modernize their operations to use plants and soils to soak up contamination that now runs into waterways untreated.

Finally, the strategy includes important new technical, scientific and financial assistance to help states and municipalities meet the clean up goals. Already, states receive significant federal funding through the Clean Water Act and the farm bill to help restore the Bay. Today's strategy would ensure that funding is used efficiently and effectively to deliver long-overdue results. New legislation, the Chesapeake Clean Water and Ecosystem Restoration Act, is a strong complement to the administrative strategy and provides over $2 billion more in funding to help states meet Clean Water Act requirements, while expanding market-based programs to reduce costs of compliance.

The Chesapeake Bay Restoration and Protection strategy is sensible and overdue - finally providing the federal leadership we need, with funding to back it up, to clean up this national treasure. You can raise your voice in support of the plan by submitting your own comments here.

Chesapeake Bay water – and users – to benefit from Senate bill

2009-10-19T14:54:50Z

Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., has introduced a bill to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay. Standing at Sandy Point State Park, a popular beach destination that has been plagued in the past with periodic episodes of bacteria pollution, I could imagine the shorebirds, crabs, oysters and the next crop of sunbathers, cheering him on.

Sen. Cardin's bill, the Chesapeake Clean Water and Ecosystem Restoration Act, contains important new provisions to hold the Environmental Protection Agency and the states accountable for setting and enforcing strict limits on pollution. It calls for a clear, enforceable limit on nutrient pollution and assigns specific federal, state and local responsibilities and funding mechanisms to meet pollution reduction goals. The bill also calls for an interstate program to help achieve timely, cost-effective pollution reductions and offer new market opportunities for farmers and others innovating pollution reduction controls.

The bill delivers what the Bay and the public deserve most: accountability and results from the billions in federal dollars that go to agricultural conservation and water quality assistance programs within the Bay watershed. The Act will help states and localities focus tax dollars on the most cost-effective ways to reduce pollution to our rivers and streams. If pollution reductions aren't being met, EPA will step in to make sure the job gets done. This is good for the Bay, good for the water and good for the country.

For more than 25 years, the region has struggled - and failed - in a largely voluntary effort to protect the Chesapeake Bay. Thousands of miles of streams still do not meet basic water quality standards due to pollution from leaking septic systems, sewer outflows, factories, animal waste and runoff from roads, crops, lawns, and construction sites.

Thankfully, President Obama and his administration have shown historic federal leadership to clean up the nation's largest estuary, including issuing an Executive Order in May. Earlier this month, NRDC released the report Seizing a Watershed Opportunity: NRDC's Plan to Clean Up the Chesapeake Bay and its Beaches, outlining numerous threats facing the Chesapeake Bay and providing a Congressional playbook to solve them with the one-two federal punch we need to finally make progress in restoring the Bay. Sen. Cardin's legislation was a top priority in our report.

Many local rivers in Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York, West Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C. - all areas with waters that drain into the Bay - remain unsafe for swimming, fishing, and drinking. We have the tools to clean up this mess. The Chesapeake Clean Water and Ecosystem Restoration Act will end the excuses and inaction and put those tools to work.

While this is an important first step, the real work still lies ahead. Support from other congressional leaders is critical to the bill's success. Anyone living in the watershed benefits from this bill. Your drinking water, favorite swimming beaches, best fishing spots - and even your crab cake and rockfish sandwiches - all come from the Bay or the waters that flow into it. It's time to raise our voices in support of this opportunity to protect the water that sustains us.

New NRDC Report Outlines Federal Remedy to Save the Chesapeake Bay

2009-10-08T19:24:41Z

Today, NRDC is releasing Seizing a Watershed Opportunity in the Chesapeake Bay, our report tracking the decline in the Chesapeake Bay's water quality. The report makes it clear that this is a pivotal time for the Bay. The Obama Administration, Congress, and even the Bay states are committed to reviving the Chesapeake. But if we don't press for real action, clean Bay beaches and Chesapeake seafood could become a thing of the past.

After years of tracking water quality at America's vacation beaches, I have noticed a disturbing trend in the Chesapeake. The bay is home to many community beaches, but increasingly, residents leave their local beaches behind, brave the traffic on the Bay Bridge, and drive all the way out to Ocean City to go for a swim.

Why? Because Bay residents realize that the water at their hometown beaches is dirtier, has more algae, and carries more illness-causing bacteria than ocean beaches.

In other words, locals are adapting to constant pollution. They know they can't eat blue crabs out of the Bay anymore, so they import it from other states or even other countries. Now, they realize that their beaches are contaminated, so they go to the ocean to swim.

It doesn't have to be this way. We don't have to give up on the idea that the Bay can be home to safe, clean waters. We can restore it, and the NRDC report outlines how.

President Obama's recent Executive Order on the Bay was an excellent start--indeed it was an unprecedented display of federal leadership. But, as our report explains, we need to take the next step.

And that means passing the Chesapeake Bay Ecosystem Restoration Act, sponsored by Senator Cardin. Right now, the Clean Water Act authorizes the EPA to spend a small amount of money to support an office for studying the Bay. And indeed, the office has done its jobs of monitoring the Bay's decline--year after year.

Senator Cardin's bill would take that data--which we have in abundance--and actually do something with it. It would set a cap on all water pollution in the Bay, and if states don't meet their limits, the EPA can take action against them.

And here is the encouraging part. States want the EPA to step in. Last month, I went to hearings on Chesapeake Bay restoration in the House Water Resources and the Environment Subcommittee, and was surprised to hear state representatives actually asking federal lawmakers to take action.

This is highly unusual. In my experience, states typically take the position: "We have it under control, and we don't need the EPA involved in our business." But when it comes to the Chesapeake Bay, states want the backing of the federal government.

They also want to know other neighboring states are doing their part as well. Anyone who has ever lived in a group house can understand this. You are less inclined to leave your dirty dishes sitting in the sink if you know your housemates clean their dishes promptly. It's a simple matter of everyone doing their fair share.

NRDC's report describes what that fair share might look like. But we won't stop here. We will continue to press for real action.

For even though this is a hopeful time in the Bay's history--when the White House, the EPA, and the states are all committed to restoration--NRDC wants to make sure this moment is not squandered. We want to make sure that when legislation passes through Congress, it is strong enough to do the restoration right.

Cleaning Up Animal Waste

2009-09-21T14:45:18Z

Charles Duhigg from the New York Times has written another excellent article on the Clean Water Act - this time on the massive feedlots that dump untreated animal waste into lagoons where it seeps into groundwater, onto vast waste fields where it runs off into waterways, and sometimes even directly into ditches that flow into lakes and streams. The result is predictable - contaminated wells, contaminated streams, and an increasing number of rural areas of the U.S. that are no longer safe or pleasant to live in.

This is not a new problem, but one recognized by Congress as early as 1972 in the Clean Water Act, which requires concentrated animal feeding operations to get the same kind of discharge permits as other types of industrial operations. Unfortunately, EPA and state environmental agencies have never required treatment for animal waste as they have for industrial wastes and human sewage. They instead have used the permitting program to authorize the kind of waste dumps that Mr. Duhigg writes about and shows through the video and slides. Even small steps, such as prohibiting animal waste dumping on fields during the winter or during storms, are the exception, not the rule.

NRDC has been working for more than a decade to try to get EPA to do its job through exposing the problems and solutions, educating the public and policymakers, and using the courts to enforce the Clean Water Act. So far, EPA hasn't been interested. It refused to require treatment of viruses and bacteria in animal waste, and it refused to require all large feedlots to get a discharge permit. You might be surprised to know that EPA doesn't even know where all the factory farms are located. The operators claim a right to keep that kind of information confidential, so EPA has to use flyovers or analysis of GIS maps to find the facilities that don't apply for permits.

So, here's the good news. EPA has another chance. Last year, NRDC challenged a Bush administration feedlot rule that was riddled with loopholes. EPA can settle that lawsuit - and more importantly, fix the problems that Mr. Duhigg identified in his article - by revising that rule. There are a variety of excellent approaches for cleaning up these filthy facilities (and I see that many readers have already commented on them on-line). Time to end the excuses, and to start on the solutions.

Feds to Release Plan to Clean Up Chesapeake Bay

2009-09-10T14:37:12Z

Today, officials from EPA, the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture will be releasing reports with a series of recommendations to improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay. The reports are called for under an Executive Order, signed by the President in May, that recognized the Chesapeake Bay as a national treasure and called for federal leadership in protecting our nation's largest estuary.

Pollution in the Bay comes from a variety of sources. Runoff from lawns and parking lots, agricultural crop production and large-scale animal feedlots, and sewage all add dangerous levels of nutrient and pathogen pollution to our waters. These anticipated Executive Order reports will include recommendations that touch on all of the sources of Bay pollution. NRDC has been particularly focused on recommendations to improve agricultural practices and reduce urban and stormwater runoff.

When these recommendations come out later today, we'll especially be looking for a few big things:

With 22 percent of the watershed in agricultural production, improved agricultural crop practices have a tremendous impact on the health of streams throughout the Bay. There are a number of steps that farmers can take to reduce the fertilizer runoff that feed algal blooms that rob streams and the Bay of oxygen that fish and shellfish need to survive. There is also funding available to assist farmers to take those steps. Some farms have taken advantage of this opportunity to reduce fertilizer use or put in stream buffers, but those who haven't continue to foul downstream water resources. The federal plan needs to put effective controls on the fertilizer that contaminates the Bay and its tributaries.
Animal waste is also filled with bacteria and other pathogens can run off into streams and rivers if not treated properly. In 2008, the EPA finalized a rule that requires all large, animal factory farms (typically those with 1,000 animals or more) to include a manure management plan as part of their Clean Water Act permit applications. However, due to strong opposition from corporate agricultural interests, the rule continues to exempt many large factory farms. Data supplied in March to NRDC by U.S. EPA confirms that large feedlots in Maryland and Virginia may not be obtaining Clean Water Act permits under the new EPA rule - indicating they have not addressed their contribution to manure pollution that contaminates the Bay. Although the compliance deadline had passed, not a single large operator had obtained a permit in Virginia, and only 14% of Maryland's had permits. Expanded definition and scope of pollution controls for factory farms are critical to the Bay's long-term health.
Similarly, as the fastest growing source of water pollution in the watershed, policies to curb urban stormwater runoff - such as green roofs, rain gardens, permeable pavement and other great solutions highlighted in NRDC's Rooftops to Rivers report - are also sorely needed. Environmental site design approaches are now in use in many communities throughout the Bay watershed. These approaches are visually appealing, very effective at reducing pollution into the Bay and the streams that feed into it, and usually more cost-effective than other approaches as well. These approaches must be expanded to protect all the rivers and streams that flow to the Chesapeake Bay.

The recommendations for the Bay restoration reports will outline critical steps needed to control pollution in the streams, rivers, and water that millions of people depend on. These reports, coupled with strong legislation announced by Senator Cardin, the Chesapeake Bay Ecosystem Restoration Act, outline a bold new approach to cleaning up our nation's largest estuary. They move beyond a series of previously ineffective efforts to control all the major sources of water pollution to achieve real results in restoring the health of the Bay. They also create new partnerships that encourage expanded use of proven, cost-efficient practices and policies to reduce pollution and restore fisheries.

The Chesapeake Bay watershed spans portions of six states and more than 60,000 square miles. The only way to clean up the Bay is to get all of those states and the pollution sources in them to work at home to clean up the streams that supply drinking water, recreational opportunities, and economic heft to communities large and small throughout the watershed. Federal leadership is critical to making this happen, so we are delighted to see that the Obama Administration is choosing clean water as one of its earliest priorities.

Best Urban Beaches

2009-08-27T14:46:51Z

As an urban dweller and water advocate, I love The Huffington Post's contest to rank the best city beaches in the United States. It's true that many of our coastal cities boast some spectacular, easily accessible beaches.

But all too often they also offer something else: an elevated risk of contracting rashes and diarrhea because failing urban pipes dump untreated sewage and polluted stormwater flows right into our beaches after heavy rains.

The number of these events is startling. Every year, NRDC releases Testing the Waters: A Guide to Water Quality at Vacation Beaches. In this year's report, we discovered that there were more than 20,000 days of closings and advisories in 2008 because beachwater exceeded public health standards.

For instance, one of Huffington's featured beaches, Zuma Beach in Los Angeles County, exceeded health standards for beachwater quality (indicating the presence of human or animal waste) 11 percent of the time in 2008. While some beaches fared worse, that's 4 percent higher than the national average, and shows that Zuma is prone to dirty runoff.

This is the case in communities all around our country, but the effect is more intense in metropolitan areas. When it rains on city streets, water rushes into storm drains pulling oil, toxins, pet waste, fertilizers, and trash along with it.

In many cities, stormwater gets passed through the same pipes as sewage, and when the system gets swamped by a downpour, the sewage sometimes bypasses the treatment plant and gets dumped raw--with all its cargo of infectious bacteria, viruses, and parasites-upstream from urban beaches.

This is what occasionally happens at San Francisco's Ocean Beach, another beach included in Huffington's contest and one popular with surfers. City officials closed certain stretches for several days in 2008 because mixed stormwater and sewage was discharged after heavy rains.

The best way to keep beaches open is to keep the pollution out of the water in the first place.

Federal and local governments can make this a priority by requiring better controls on stormwater and sewage. A key solution is to use something called low impact development--techniques that retain and filter rainwater where it falls, letting it soak back into the ground rather than running off into waterways.

But in the meantime, if you want to enjoy the last days of summer by taking a dip in your city's best swimming holes--and you want to avoid a trip to the emergency room--take a look at NRDC's beach guide before you go. It will tell you how well your city officials monitor local beaches and how often they have exceeded health standards.

You can also take a look at our 5-star rating guide for 200 of the nation's most popular beaches. This is a good place to find swimming options that are fun and healthy. The water at these beaches is monitored more than once a week and almost always meets public health standards. In addition, the public is promptly informed whenever contamination is found.

Here is a sample of some well rated beaches (5 stars):

Gulf Shores Public Beach (AL)
Laguna Beach-Main Beach (CA)
Bolsa Chica State Beach in Huntington Beach (CA),
Newport Beach (CA)
Ocean City (MD)
Park Point - Community Club Beach in Duluth (MN)
Hampton Beach State Park in Hampton (NH).

And for tips on how to have a healthy trip to the beach, check out this live chat with me from earlier in the summer.

A Bold New Idea Could Change How We Manage Water

2009-07-30T21:21:14Z

This week the Aspen Institute released a groundbreaking report that should help transform the way America looks at our water system.

When most people hear the term "water infrastructure," they tend to think of pipes, drains, and maybe a water main or two. But thanks to this new report, additional images may soon leap to mind: the wetlands, grassy plains, and other natural systems that are now being recognized as the most cost-effective way to recycle and filter our water.

This is a bold new idea, and that was the goal of the Aspen Institute's Dialogue on Sustainable Water Infrastructure--to look at the big picture, long-term needs of our water resources and envision new ways of managing them.

I was fortunate to be a member of the dialogue, along with about 25 other people from various sewer authorities, private water companies, and other environmental groups. We gathered for four workshops and had the chance to rethink traditional approaches to water.

You see, we have been working on a pretty old model for the past several decades. For sewage treatment is goes like this: transport the sewage to a treatment plant, treat it, and discharge it into a waterway. For stormwater, it is about putting the dirty water in pipes and getting it off the land as quickly as possible. Anything outside of that loop--say, the nearby wetlands that might have helped filter the stormwater--wasn't often considered as a useful tool.

If you went to a conference of sewer authorities or wastewater operators--as I have done many times--most of the discussions have focused around particular, day-to-day problems: how do we detect leaking pipes? What is the best way to biologically remove nutrients from treatment plants?

The Aspen Dialogue and the accompanying report offer a chance to step back and think about what makes water infrastructure sustainable in the long run--both environmentally and economically.

When we looked at infrastructure on these terms, it became clear that the natural systems that nurture and sustain our water must be included in water planning. These include soil, vegetation, and even the water cycle itself, so that groundwater and surface water supplies are replenished as we use them.

And another bold idea follows from that conclusion: preserving these wetlands and forests is not only in the interest fish and wildlife, but also in the interest of people. We need these ecosystems to remain healthy so they can keep the water we drink and swim in healthy.

Local water authorities will be responsible for using these new approaches, but we agreed that the federal government also has a role to play. It can set minimum standards s that wherever you go in the United States, you'll know that you can drink the tap water, swim in the lakes and beaches, and eat the fish without getting sick.

The federal government can also encourage innovation--which is much needed considering the last wave of water treatment innovations occurred over 20 years ago. And the federal government can help low-income communities pay for these new approaches.

Funding new ways of doing things is always a challenge, and it became a contested issue at the Aspen Dialogue. NRDC supports the trust fund idea that was recently introduced in the House in the Water Protection and Reinvestment Act. The bill would help cities invest not only in existing infrastructure, but also in long-term solutions such as green infrastructure and water conservation and reuse.

It is my hope that both the Aspen report and the legislation will inspire water managers across the country--from city sustainability offices to global warming adaptation initiatives--to start including natural systems in their infrastructure planning.

And I hope they do it soon, because our waterways are in urgent need of help. Just yesterday, NRDC released our annual Testing the Waters report of beach closures. And with more than 20,000 days last year when beaches deemed unhealthy for swimming--largely due to sewage and stormwater overflows--it is clear our nation needs to a new vision for managing our water resources.

NRDC's Beach report out today

2009-07-29T15:25:30Z

NRDC's 19th Annual Beach Report, 5-Star Guide to 200 U.S. Beaches Out Today

When you're daydreaming about a trip to the shore this summer - I'm guessing human or animal waste in the waves that can send you running to the bathroom, doctor's office - or worse - the emergency room, isn't part of the picture. Am I right?

Unfortunately - that is reality, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council's 19th annual Testing the Waters report that was released today.

Beachwater pollution can give swimmers the stomach flu, skin rashes, pinkeye, ear, nose and throat problems, dysentery, hepatitis, respiratory ailments, neurological disorders and other serious health problems. For senior citizens, small children, and people with weak immune systems, the results can be fatal. But don't let it bum you out. There are things you can do to keep you and your family from getting sick at the beach, as well as improve beachwater quality.

Read on to see how your favorite beach stacked up in our *5-STAR RATING GUIDE TO 200 POPULAR U.S. BEACHES* and get an overview of this year's results!

DETAILS:

5-STAR GUIDE TO AMERICA'S BEACHES
The report's 5-star rating guide ranks 200 of the nation's most popular beaches based on indicators of beachwater quality, monitoring frequency, and public notification to protect beachgoers from contamination. Check out the complete list here to see how your favorite beach fared!

WHAT'S CLIMATE CHANGE GOT TO DO WITH IT?
For the first time ever, the Testing the Waters report this year also explores the effects of climate change on beachwater quality, revealing that it is expected to make pollution worse due. Temperature increases, and more frequent and intense rainstorms, will lead to increased stormwater runoff, sewer pollution and disease-causing pathogens - including those that cause stomach flu, diarrhea and neurological problems - in America's beachwater.

HOW CLEAN WERE AMERICA'S BEACHES IN 2008?
Last year there were more than 20,000 closing and advisory days issued at ocean, bay and Great Lakes beaches for the fourth consecutive year. Seven percent of beachwater samples violated health standards nationwide, indicating fecal contamination and showing no improvement from the last two years. From 2005-2008, the Great Lakes have consistently tested the dirtiest, while the Southeast and Delmarva Peninsula proved relatively cleaner than other regions. The primary pollution sources, stormwater runoff after heavy rains (responsible for 38 percent of closing & advisory days) and sewage pollution (responsible for 8 percent) continue to be serious problems that haven't been addressed. For the full report, go to www.nrdc.org/beaches.

SOLUTIONS
There's a wide variety of things that can be done to improve outlook for America's waves.

Prevention is the best way to protect swimmers from beachwater pollution. Federal, state and local governments can make this a priority by requiring better controls on stormwater and sewage, the two largest known sources of pollution. Key solutions include upgrading sewage treatment facilities and using low impact development techniques that retain and filter rainwater where it falls and let it soak back into the ground, rather than runoff it into waterways (i.e. strategically placed rain gardens in yards, tree boxes on city sidewalks, green roofs that use absorbent vegetation on top of buildings, and permeable pavement that allows water to penetrate the material, instead of asphalt or concrete).
Climate legislation: The American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES) [http://www.nrdc.org/globalWarming/legislation/default.asp] that recently passed the House of Representatives will help communities prepare for further impacts of climate change on coastal communities such as flooding, sea level rise, increased stormwater pollution and sewer overflows, in addition to capping global warming pollution.
Better testing: The Clean Coastal Environment and Public Health Act pending in Congress would provide money for more beachwater sampling and for finding and cleaning up sources of beachwater pollution. It would also require use of faster testing methods so people get timely information about whether it is safe to swim.
Simple steps in your daily life: Individuals can help clean up beach pollution by picking up pet waste, maintaining septic systems, putting plastic pants on babies, keeping trash off the beach, and properly disposing of household toxics, used motor oil and boating wastes.

Stay healthy this summer - and help us clean up our beachwater for our vacations to come. Check out NRDC's website for more information: http://www.nrdc.org/beaches.

Be safe at the beach

2009-06-18T15:57:52Z

As we are waiting for the rain to break here on the East Coast so we can get out to the beach, the Senate is taking a close look at how to make our beaches safer for swimming. Today the Senate Committee for Environment and Public Works reported out S. 878, the Clean Coastal Environment and Public Health Act of 2009. Introduced in the Senate in April by Senators Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and George Voinovich (R-OH), S. 878 would be a great step in the right direction toward ensuring safe beaches on our ocean and Great Lakes coasts. Earlier this month, the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives reviewed and reported out H.R. 2093, a similar bill for a full vote in the House. Now the Senate follows suit with an even stronger bill than the House version due to the leadership of Senators Lautenberg and Voinovich and the support of Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Ben Cardin (D-MD), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) on the Committee.

Coastal beaches are tested regularly for pollutants, but the results from these tests take more than 24 hours to determine whether a beach is unsafe for swimming - which doesn't offer much help to beachgoers who want to know if the water is clean before they get in, not after. S. 878, however, directs the EPA to approve a 4-hour rapid test method to monitor beachwater pollution and get same-day results. There are several rapid tests already in use at a number of U.S. beaches that provide results in 2-3 hours, so a 4-hour minimum should be easily achieved. S. 878 also seeks to speed up the requirements for notifying beachgoers immediately after a contamination is found. Currently, some beaches take a second test before confirming beachwater contamination, which means you may be swimming in polluted water for several days before a warning sign is displayed telling you that the beach is unsafe. S. 878 would change that as well by requiring same-day notification of contamination problems for beachgoers, which NRDC has been supporting for many years, in its Testing the Waters report and in litigation.

S. 878 also reauthorizes and increases funding for beachwater monitoring and notification. Some states rely solely on these grant funds for their beachwater monitoring, so this increase is important to support more regular testing at a greater number of beaches. S. 878 also funds programs to track sources of beachwater pollution and clean them up. This is a crucial next step to achieving the real goal, which is to have beaches that are safe for swimming, not just a warning when they are not safe.

Approval of this bill today by the Senate Committee for Environment and Public Works continues the momentum of this issue in Congress. With the first official day of summer upon us this weekend and beach visits on the rise, Congress should pass this legislation right away so that we can all have peace of mind when we dive into the waves.

Also today, the Senate Committee passed out three other important water bills, the Sewage Overflow Community Right-to-Know Act, S. 937, which was also introduced by Senator Lautenberg along with Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Sheldon Whitehouse (R-RI), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR). NRDC has been involved since this bill was first conceived as a response to the Bush administration's failure to promulgate regulations to address sewer overflows despite consensus recommendations of a federal advisory committee on which NRDC served. The legislation will ensure that the public and public health authorities are warned when sewer overflows occur, but we still need to address the root causes, including antiquated and decaying infrastructure. Passage of the Clean Water State Revolving Fund reauthorization, S. 1005, which Sen. Cardin introduced, and which also awaits floor action in the Senate, will be a great next step in directing funds to critical infrastructure improvements. And, finally, the Senate Committee reported the Clean Water Restoration Act, S. 787, which will restore the historic scope of the Clean Water Act, and on which my colleague, Jon Devine, has blogged many times. Check out his blog.

Look for NRDC's 19th annual beachwater quality report, Testing the Waters, later this summer!

LIVE CHAT: What You Should Know Before Heading to the Beach

2009-05-21T19:30:00Z

Heading to the beach this summer? Before you go, chat live with NRDC's Nancy Stoner on May 21 at 2:30 p.m. Eastern about beachwater pollution and tips for protecting yourself and your family from waterborne illnesses. Nancy heads the team that produces NRDC's annual Testing the Waters report, which surveys water quality and public notification policies at U.S. beaches. She'll discuss the sources of beachwater pollution and ways that you can avoid and help prevent it.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;task=viewaltcast&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;altcast_code=c598d04394" mce_href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;task=viewaltcast&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;altcast_code=c598d04394" &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;NRDC's Nancy Stoner on Beachwater Pollution and Safety Tips&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

From the Anacostia to the Chesapeake: the feds can help clean up

2009-05-20T17:00:51Z

NRDC is one of the more than 50 organizations from throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed joining together today on Capitol Hill to launch a new coordinated campaign to push for stronger federal action on restoration of the Chesapeake Bay. Congressional leaders from the Chesapeake Bay area will be there to join our call, including U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (MD), U.S. Rep. Chris Van Hollen (MD-8), U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly (VA-11), and U.S. Rep. Frank Kratovil (MD-1).

The coalition has identified several opportunities to improve water quality at the federal level, including implementation of President Obama's recent Executive Order related to Chesapeake Bay restoration. Not only does this Executive Order express the President's support for cleanup of the Bay, but it also commits EPA to using the full extent of its Clean Water Act authority to do so. EPA has never really tried this before, so it could make a big difference in a few short years in reviving the economic and recreational potential of the Bay. The key is to have every pollution source contribute to Bay restoration.

NRDC has also been calling for help from the Obama Administration to clean up another polluted waterway in the Bay's watershed that would in turn improve the health of the Chesapeake - the Anacostia River. Although surrounded by greenspace and teeming with wildlife, this river is filled with trash, contaminants from stormwater runoff, and sewage that it dumps into the Potomac River, and eventually into the Bay - but it can be cleaned up. The river's watershed encompasses portions of DC and Maryland's Montgomery and Prince George's Counties. We now know how to neutralize the runoff and sewage from the area - and DC and Maryland are starting to make progress in this area. While this can make a significant difference, they can't do it alone. A significant federal investment in the Anacostia clean-up could help create the biggest turnaround in an urban river since the revival of the Hudson - bringing huge benefits to DC, suburban Maryland, and the Bay.

And if the new EPA under the Obama Administration can build-on the actions they're already taking to focus similar attention on the Chesapeake Bay - we could finally see a real turnaround for this notoriously troubled, but cherished, waterway.

Tips for a healthy trip to the beach this Memorial Day

2009-05-18T16:39:09Z

It's that time of year again - Memorial Day - the official start to the summer season and opening day at the beach! Before you dip into the water, though, you should be aware that swimming at your local beach can make you sick.

Every summer, beach water pollution forces closings around the country. In 2007 alone, there were more than 20,000 closures and advisories across the country, as reported in NRDC's 2008 Testing the Waters report. Those closures and advisories happen because beachwater is contaminated with human and animal waste.

Beachwater pollution comes from a variety of different sources. Heavy summer rains wash over roads, parking lots and other surfaces, picking up pollutants along the way and carrying them to the coast. This includes waste from pets, livestock, and wild animals. Leaky and overflowing sewers can release human waste directly into coastal waters as well, especially after a hard rainfall.

Human and animal wastes contain bacteria, viruses, and parasites that make swimmers sick. The most common illness is stomach flu, which is characterized by vomiting, diarrhea, nausea and fever. No one wants to return from the beach feeling like this!

So as you head out to the beach this summer, here are a few tips for staying healthy:

Make sure that the water has recently been tested and determined to be safe.
Avoid swimming for at least 24 hours after a rain storm, if there is an advisory, if the water looks cloudy, or if it smells bad. Build a sandcastle or play volleyball instead.
If possible, choose beaches that are next to open water or away from urban areas. They typically pose less of a health risk than beaches in developed areas or in enclosed bays and harbors with little water circulation.
Look for pipes along the beach that drain stormwater runoff from the streets, and don't swim near them.
If you can't find out if the beachwater is safe, complain to the local public health agency.

Check out NRDC's guide on how to find a clean beach for more information.

And while those tips will help you stay healthy at the beach, there are things you can do to help keep your beachwater healthy year-round:

Be a good steward at the beach and pick up trash that others leave behind.
Be sure to recycle or dispose of your trash in a trash can - don't throw it on the ground.
Clean up after your pets.
Conserve water at your home to help reduce overflows at treatment facilities.
Re-direct roof runoff to your yard or garden, not the street.
Dispose of waste from your boat at a pump-out facility.

Keep your eye out for NRDC's 19th annual Testing the Waters report later this summer! As usual, we'll let you know how your favorite beaches are stacking up and offer more information about you can help keep your trips to the shore healthy.

Funding New Thinking about Water

2009-05-07T17:26:22Z

Today, Senators Boxer (D-CA), Inhofe (R-OK), Cardin (D-MD), and Crapo (R-ID) will introduce the Water Infrastructure Financing Act, which will reauthorize Clean Water and Safe Drinking Water state revolving funds. These funds are the principal federal contribution to funding water and wastewater infrastructure across the country.

The state revolving funds aren't new - they have been in existence since 1987 - but the focus of the funding is new. It used to pay for pipes, pumps, and treatment plants pretty much exclusively, which is technology designed to move "wastewaters" away from homes, businesses, and factories quickly, provide chemical or mechanical treatment, then put it into waterways to drain to the coasts. The thinking today is different, and the bill, to its authors' credit, reflects that. Now the goal is to protect and restore the hydrology of the natural environment by using and returning water to its place of origin, restoring wetlands, planting stream buffers and other natural purifiers, and using treatment approaches that mimic natural functions. The bill provides incentives for these types of approaches.

The other principle the bill clearly reflects is the value of water. Conservation, efficiency, and reuse are woven throughout the bill. "Wastewater" is a concept of the past. Now there are just forms of water that can be safely used for various purposes based on their volume, location, and quality.

The bill contains a number of grant programs for research, pilot projects, and other specific purposes, such as replacing lead drinking water pipes. These are all significant improvements in the law that will drive innovation in the field and protect public health.

I salute the bill's authors for the vision and foresight reflected in the bill as a whole.

There is, however, a gaping flaw in the Clean Water State Revolving Fund program that the bill fails to address and which has the potential to swallow up the water resource improvements that this legislation would otherwise be expected to bring. The bill continues to fund new sewage treatment plants and new sewage and stormwater collection systems in greenfields, i.e., currently undeveloped or working landscapes. We know that if you build water infrastructure in such areas, sprawl will come, which means more impervious surfaces and more polluted runoff. These effects are largely irreversible.

It makes no sense to continue to use Clean Water Act funds to create new pollution that the Clean Water Act will then require to be addressed. I urge the Senate to address this issue as the bill moves forward.

Clean Coastal Environment and Public Health Act of 2009

2009-04-24T21:24:43Z

The temperatures are getting warmer reminding us that summer is right around the corner - and summertime means beachtime! We got some good news for the health of our beaches yesterday from Representative Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and 23 other members of the U.S. House of Representatives. They introduced the Clean Coastal Environment and Public Health Act of 2009 (H.R. 2093), which will help to protect families swimming at U.S. beaches this summer. Beaches around the country are required to test water pollution during the summer to make sure the water is safe for swimming, but the public health standards for these tests are out-of-date. There are two main problems: the public health tests they use aren't predictive of the full range of waterborne illnesses and the results are slow, often 24-48 hours after the sample is drawn. As a result of a lawsuit NRDC brought last year, EPA has agreed to update their beachwater monitoring tests, but this bill would put those commitments into the law.

H.R. 2093 proposes a fall 2012 deadline for the EPA Administrator to complete its validation of a rapid testing method, which would provide beachgoers with same day information on beachwater safety. The bill would require health officials at beaches used most by the public to make quick decisions about beach advisories and closures and promptly let the public know if the beachwater is not safe for swimming.

Another great feature of this bill is that it would provide funding for coastal communities to identify and correct sources of beachwater pollution. It isn't enough just to let people know whether the beachwater is safe. We need to make it safe. This bill would help to do that.