Pallone Helps Fund Beach Act Grant Program in Omnibus Package

Washington, DC – Today as part of the omnibus spending package, the House provided funding for the Beach Act Grant program. Beach Act grants were originally established in 2000 by a bill authored by Pallone and late-Senator Frank Lautenberg. Under the BEACH Act, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is required to work with states to ensure they use the latest science to sample and test beach waters to protect the public's health. If tests come back positive for contaminants then the state is required to close the beach until it is clean. The law also helps states set up and operate comprehensive monitoring and notification programs in order to provide up-to-date information on the condition of all public beaches.

Last month Pallone and Congressman Frank LoBiondo sent a letter to the Appropriations Committee requesting that the program be funded.

The text of the letter can be found below:

The Honorable Rodney Frelinghuysen The Honorable Nita Lowey

Chairman Ranking Member

House Appropriations Committee House Appropriations Committee

Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20515

The Honorable Ken Calvert The Honorable Betty McCollum

Chairman Ranking Member

House Appropriations Subcommittee on House Appropriations Subcommittee on

Interior, Environment, & Related Agencies Interior, Environment, & Related Agencies

Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20515

February 27, 2018

Dear Chairman Frelinghuysen, Ranking Member Lowey, Chairman Calvert, and Ranking Member McCollum:

We write to express our strong support for Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health (BEACH) Act grants, and to ask that you maintain current funding levels in the omnibus appropriations package.

Our nation's beaches add tens of billions of dollars to our economy and provide recreational activity for millions of Americans each year. The Jersey Shore alone generates $44 billion a year and supports over half a million direct and indirect jobs. The quality of our water is of the utmost importance in ensuring that record of economic and recreational success continues, and BEACH Act grants are the best tool at our disposal to ensure that our coasts are safe for swimming, surfing, fishing, and other activities.

BEACH Act grants help states and localities pay for testing to ensure our waters are safe for swimming. When tests show unsafe levels of bacteria, local and state agencies notify the public or close the beaches completely until bacteria levels fall to acceptable levels. Without this critical federal support, beachgoers would be in serious jeopardy, with many states and localities unable to fill the resulting funding gap to keep communities safe.

A modest maintenance of funding would have an outsized impact on American beachgoers, the communities that welcome them, and the businesses that count on their support each year. Again, we ask that you maintain the current $9.531 million in funding for this critical program, and we thank you for your consideration of this request.

Sincerely,

____________________________ ____________________________

FRANK PALLONE, JR. FRANK A. LOBIONDO

Member of Congress Member of Congress