River and Beach Contamination Poorly Publicized
U.S. Agencies Fail to Notify of Sewage Pollution Risks for Swimmers
Sep 21, 2009
Sewage overflows and agricultural pollution in U.S. waterways mean that swimming in lake, river, or beach water could expose Americans to diseases that include gastroenteritis, skin and eye infections, or even Hepatitis. Inconsistent public notification means that swimmers may be unaware of health risks.
No Federal Law Requires Public Notification of Sewage Overflows into Rivers
American Rivers, a well known U.S. environmental group, estimates that broken pipes and overburdened water treatment plants release more than 860 billion gallons of raw or partially-treated sewage into rivers and waterways every year. "Where ever there are creeks, streams and rivers, people will want to swim, play and wade in them," write Will Hewes and Katherine Baer in the group's report What's in Your Water.
No federal regulation mandates monitoring of overflows or public notification. Inconsistent state and local policies mean that swimmers may not hear of a pollution problem for days after it is known to local authorities if they hear of it at all.
Inconsistent Compliance with Federal Law Puts Beach Swimmers at Needless Risk
The Natural Resources Defense Council documents that U.S. beach waters violated health standards more than 20,000 times every year from 2005-2008. The federal Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health (BEACH) Act of 2000 provides federal funding for water testing and development public notification systems. Unfortunately, because of how the law is being implemented by state and local authorities, unsafe swimming conditions can still exist for days before beachgoers are notified of the hazard.
Brian Turnbaum of the government watchdog group OMB Watch argues that, "with today's newer technologies, people could be notified almost immediately, and should be." The group is supporting legislation that would mandate faster public notification.
Two Proposed Laws Would Require Timely Public Notification of Contamination Events
The Raw Sewage Overflow Right-to-Know Act would require public treatment works to monitor for sewer overflows and notify the public of dangerous contamination incidents within 24 hours. Representative Tim Bishop (D-NY-01) introduced the bill in January 2009 as H.R. 2452 and and then amended it to a larger water infrastructure funding bill, the Water Quality Investment Act of 2009 (H.R. 1262), which passed the U.S. House of Representatives in June. The Senate companion bill, introduced by Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) in April 2009 as S. 937, was approved by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee in June but is awaiting full Senate action.
The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee approved Senator Lautenberg's and Senator George Voinavich's (R-OH) Clean Coastal Environment and Public Health Act of 2009 in June, which would require rapid testing methods and timely public notification of results by state and local agencies receiving federal funding for beach water tests. The House companion bill is being sponsored by Representative Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ-06).
Staying Safe When Swimming in Lakes, Rivers, or Oceans
The Environmental Protection Agency recommends that people refrain from swimming for a day or two after heavy rains and familiarize themselves with their local environmental agency's beach pollution notification systems.
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