U ltimately, all pollution flows downstream to the sea. Yet the Clean Water Act lacks adequate protection of ocean and coastal waters. Yet there are no enforceable, national standards for testing beach water quality or fish, nor standards for monitoring, testing and posting swimming beaches and fishing areas. Instead, practices vary widely from state to state, and within states.
Many states perform little or no monitoring, testing or notification.
The public has a right to know if the water they swim in and the fish they eat are safe. Estuaries and coastal areas are home to half the nation's population, and provide jobs to 28 million Americans contributing billions of dollars to the nation's economy. The NEP has helped many states identify coastal pollution and habitat loss problems in estuaries by developing management plans. However, the implementation of recommendations in these plans has been inadequate due to a lack of commitment to funding and follow-up. Funding for implementing NEP management plans should be increased under the state revolving fund, with funds set aside to augment state and local funding and ensure that funds are available when needed.