Congress is considering a bill that would increase funding for water quality monitoring at recreational beaches, and would also help states utilize the latest technology to test beach waters for contaminants. H.R. 2537 would reauthorize the BEACH Act of 2000 and require EPA to approve rapid contaminant testing methods so authorities can quickly close beaches to the public. Current water quality monitoring tests only for bacteria levels and takes 24 to 48 hours to produce reliable results, leaving beachgoers in danger in the interim period. The new technology would allow authorities to detect contaminants within six hours. The bill, sponsored by Reps. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) and Tim Bishop (D-N.Y.), increases money for state water quality grants from $30 million to $40 million through 2012. It also expands the scope of the grants to include pollution source tracking and prevention efforts. If you haven't already, please complete the action alert to let your elected officials know you support water quality http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/beachact_2007
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