A rising tide of public concern has prompted both the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Environmental Protection Agency to create internet sites offering web-surfers data about the nation's beaches. As Rick Hoffman in the EPA's Office of Water says, it's essential to protect public health through public information. But some experts say this information is, at best, vague and watered-down. The EPA only began its nationwide beach-monitoring program in 1998. Often times, the decision to close a beach rests with the county health department.
Water testing can differ greatly from state to state and even county to county.
These varying standards makes crafting a national policy and assessing beach pollution on a national scale extremely difficult, according to Matt Liebman, EPA New England regional beach coordinator. Some states and communities have taken the lead in combating beach pollution. Delaware makes use of complex models to reliably predict where beach pollution could be dangerous. There are also steps individuals can take to decrease their own impact on beaches. Individual action and uniform monitoring practices can only go so far, however, when taking into account the immense population strains put on beaches.