Support Funding for Clean Beaches and the Public's Right to Know

Keep Our Beaches Safe!
Two years ago Congress promised to alert the public to unsafe swimming conditions by unanimously passing a bill called the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health Act [BEACH Act]. The law allows the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [EPA] to provide $30 million in grants to states to monitor the safety of beach water. States can then alert citizens when their waters are unsafe for swimming, surfing, wading, and other recreational activities.

This is critical information for the public, yet the Bush Administration and Congress are holding back on this program. Last year, only one third of the allowable funding was provided to the states, which is not nearly enough to get needed information to the American public. Some states have said they won't even bother developing a program if there is not enough money available to make it worth their while. Right now, is imperative that we remind Congress of their earlier commitment to this program and ask them to reinstate the money as authorized in the BEACH Act so that we all know whether it's safe to go in the water.

Act now and send a message telling your Senators and Members of Congress to keep their promise and fully fund the BEACH Act.
Dear ____________:

I strongly oppose the Bush Administration's budget decision to request only $10 million for funding state beach water quality monitoring and public notification grants, as called for in the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health [BEACH] Act.

The law, which Congress passed unanimously, authorizes $30 million for states to monitor beach water quality and to alert the public when the water is unsafe for recreating. This program is a bottom-up approach--not a top-down, regulatory one--with states designing their own programs to best safeguard their citizens. Without the full funding, however, states will not invest the time in developing the programs that will protect the beach-goers and the coastal economies that depend on them.

I urge you to fully fund the BEACH Act programs by appropriating $30 million in EPA's budget under the VA HUD budget bill. Any less than the full amount authorized for this program will deny citizens like me the right to know whether it's safe to swim, surf or even wade in the coastal waters in our communities.

Thank you,
signer
signer
Vous avez désactivé JavaScript sur votre navigateur. Sans JavaScript, il se peut que notre site Internet ne fonctionne pas correctement.

politique de confidentialité

En signant, vous acceptez les conditions de service de Care2
Vous pouvez gérer vos abonnements à tout moment.

Vous ne parvenez pas à signer cette pétition ?? Faites-le nous savoir.