United States Office of Water
Environmental Protection Agency 4305
EPA-823-F-07-004
January 2008
EPA Makes Grants Available to States to Implement
Water Quality Monitoring and Public Notification
Programs at the Nation's Beaches
EPA is making $9.75 million in
grants available in 2008 to eligible
states to protect public health at the
Nation's beaches. These grants are
available to coastal and Great
Lakes states to help them implement
programs to monitor water quality
at the beach and to notify the public
when water quality problems exist.
Background
Each swimming season, state and local health and environmental protection agencies monitor the
quality of water at the Nation's beaches. When bacteria levels in the water are too high, these
agencies notify the public by posting beach warnings or closing the beach.
To improve water quality testing at the beach and to help beach managers better inform the
public when there are water quality problems, Congress passed the Beaches Environmental
Assessment and Coastal Health Act (BEACH Act) in October 2000. This Act authorizes EPA to
award grants to eligible states, tribes, and territories to develop and implement beach water
quality monitoring and notification programs at coastal and Great Lakes recreational waters at
beaches. These grants also help states develop and implement programs to inform the public
about the risk of exposure to disease-causing microorganisms in the waters at the Nation's
beaches.
Funding
In 2008, EPA expects to award $9.75 in beach monitoring and notification grants to eligible
states, tribes, and territories. For this eighth year, EPA expects to award grants based on an
allocation formula to all eligible States and Territories who apply. EPA consulted with states and
the Coastal States Organization in 2002 to develop the allocation formula, which considers three
factors: 1) beach season length, 2) beach miles, and 3) beach use. EPA used the same formula as
was used in 2007, which includes using shoreline miles as a surrogate for beach miles, while
EPA evaluates state beach length data.
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Based on this allocation formula and assuming all 35 eligible states and territories apply, the size
of the implementation grant award varies from $147,600 to $526,300. If fewer than 35 States and
Territories apply for the allocated amount, or if any applicant fails to meet the statutory
eligibility requirements for the grants, then EPA will distribute available grant funds to eligible
States and Territories in the following order:
1) States that meet the eligibility requirements for implementation grants and that have
met the statutory conditions applicable to previously awarded section 406 grants will
be awarded the full amount of funds allocated under the formula described above.
2) EPA may award program implementation grants to local governments in states where
the Agency determines the state has not met the requirements for implementation
grants.
3) EPA will conduct a monitoring and notification program for beaches in those states
that does not have a program for monitoring and notification that is consistent with
EPA's grant performance criteria. EPA will consider a state's or territory's grant
application and most recent grant annual report in deciding whether the program is
consistent with EPA requirements.
If all 35 eligible states and territories apply and meet the performance criteria, the distribution of
funds for year 2008 will be:
For the state or
territory of:
Alabama
Alaska
American Samoa
California
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Guam
Hawaii
Illinois
Indiana
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
The year 2008
allocation is expected
to be:
$258,390
$147,650
$297,460
$514,720
$220,500
$207,730
$526,320
$282,700
$297,930
$318,590
$240,290
$202,730
$320,270
$252,220
$266,900
$251,930
$276,210
$201,190
For the state or
territory of:
Mississippi
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
North Carolina
Northern Marianas
Ohio
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Puerto Rico
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Texas
U.S. Virgin Islands
Virginia
Washington
Wisconsin
The year 2008
allocation is expected
to be:
$253,680
$201,450
$275,480
$347,300
$299,150
$298,670
$220,780
$225,970
$219,650
$324,080
$209,650
$293,270
$379,140
$298,510
$274,650
$267,980
$222,420
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EPA has set aside $50,000 for eligible tribes who may apply to develop a beach program. EPA
expects to apportion these funds evenly among all eligible tribes that apply.
How Long Will the Funding and Project Periods Last?
The expected funding and project periods for implementation grants awarded in fiscal year 2008
is one year.
Who Is Eligible to Apply?
In order to be eligible for BEACH Act grants, states and territories must have coastal and Great
Lakes recreational waters next to beaches or similar points of access used by the public. Under
the BEACH Act, EPA can also award grants to eligible tribes. To receive BEACH Act grants,
tribes must also have coastal and Great Lakes recreational waters next to beaches or similar
points of access used by the public. In addition, a tribe must demonstrate that it meets the
"treatment in the same manner as a state" criteria contained in section 518(e) of the Clean Water
Act. EPA encourages those Tribes with coastal recreation waters to contact their regional Beach
Act grant coordinator for further information regarding the application process as soon as
possible.
In July 2002, EPA published the National Beach Guidance and Required Performance Criteria
for Grants (EPA-823-B-02-004) which explains the requirements for states, tribes, and local
governments to qualify for implementation grants. You can find this document on EPA's website
at http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/beaches/. You can also get the guidance by writing or
calling the Office of Water Resources Center, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code
4100T, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20460. (202-566-1731) or by
sending an e-mail to: center.water-resource@epa.gov.
The BEACH Act authorizes EPA to give a grant to a local government to implement a
monitoring and notification program. We may do so only if the Agency finds that the state is not
implementing a program that meets the requirements of the Act. Local governments may contact
their EPA Regional office for further information about BEACH Act grants.
How Does a State or Territory Apply?
Eligible states and territories may get an application from their regional EPA beach contact.
These contacts are listed in the Federal Register Notice of Availability for the BEACH grants on
EPA's Beach Watch web site at http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/beaches/grants/.
For More Information
For more information on the BEACH grants, please contact your EPA Regional Beach Program
representative or the Office of Water's Standards and Health Protection Division at (202) 566-
0400.
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