The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is preparing to award up to $10 million in grants to 38 states, territories, and Tribes to develop and implement beach monitoring and notification programs. Since 2002 EPA’s partners have used nearly $206 million in BEACH Act grants to protect beachgoers by monitoring beaches for bacteria, maintaining and operating public notification systems, identifying local pollution sources, and reporting results to EPA.
“Clean and safe water is essential to public health, the economy, and community well-being. Without clean water, families can’t enjoy outdoor activities like a day at the beach,” said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Radhika Fox. “With this grant funding, EPA is helping states, territories, and Tribes fund water quality monitoring programs to ensure that water is clean for swimming and recreation and to protect public health.”
Under the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health (BEACH) Act, EPA awards grants to eligible state, territorial and Tribal applicants to help them and their local government partners monitor water quality at coastal and Great Lakes beaches. When bacteria levels are too high for safe swimming, these agencies notify the public by posting beach warnings or closing the beach.
EPA’s most recent Beach Report found that beaches on U.S. coasts and along the Great Lakes were open and safe for swimming 92 percent of the time in 2020. Check with your local public health authority on water conditions when making plans to go the beach.
EPA’s 2022 BEACH Act grant funding, contingent upon meeting the eligibility requirements, will be allocated to the following states, territories, and Tribes:
EPA Region 1
- Connecticut $226,000
- Maine $255,000
- Massachusetts $255,000
- New Hampshire $204,000
- Rhode Island $216,000
EPA Region 2
- New Jersey $281,000
- New York $354,000
- Puerto Rico $330,000
- U.S. Virgin Islands $303,000
EPA Region 3
- Delaware $211,000
- Maryland $272,000
- Pennsylvania $223,000
- Virginia $280,000
EPA Region 4
- Alabama $263,000
- Florida $537,000
- Georgia $288,000
- Mississippi $258,000
- North Carolina $305,000
- South Carolina $298,000
EPA Region 5
- Illinois $245,000
- Indiana $206,000
- Michigan $281,000
- Minnesota $204,000
- Ohio $225,000
- Wisconsin $226,000
- Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians $50,000
- Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa $50,000
EPA Region 6
- Louisiana $377,000
- Texas $386,000
EPA Region 9
- American Samoa $302,000
- California $525,000
- Guam $303,000
- Hawaii $324,000
- Northern Mariana Islands $303,000
EPA Region 10
- Alaska $160,670
- Oregon $246,360
- Washington $292,415
- Swinomish Indian Tribal Community $53,555
