America's dirtiest beaches ranked, report
A new report from Environment America ranks the dirtiest beaches in the United States, warning about dangerous bacteria found in the water. The study surveyed more than 2,000 beaches across 29 coastal and Great Lakes states, where it found a bacteria in the water that causes illnesses in up to 75,000 people per year.
“It’s not about trash, it’s about the water,” Fox Business’s Jeff Flock said, “On at least one day last year, more than half of those beaches had a bacteria level that’s enough the EPA says to make you sick” Flock said.
The report cited that fecal material accumulates in the water, either from humans or animals, through urban runoff, sewage leaks, and livestock operations is a primarily contaminator.
“Sites were considered potentially unsafe if bacteria levels exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s most protective ‘Beach Action Value’ threshold, the level at which the agency estimates is 32 out of 1,000 swimmers will get sick from swimming in these waters,” Enviroment America stated in the study.
According to the report, swimmers who come in contact with the waste are susceptible to ear and eye infections, skin rashes, or even worse including gastrointestinal illnesses and respiratory diseases.
“All regions can implement solutions to prevent pollution from being created in the first place, or to keep pollution from reaching the waters where our families go to swim,” the report stated.
Breaking down the pollution by region, The Gulf Coast beaches are seen to have the most pollution, with 85 percent of their beaches unsafe for at least one day in 2018. The next most unsafe region is the Great Lakes, and following is the West Coast, at 75 percent and 67 percent along the coast. Finally, the East Coast is the least dirty with almost half of their beach sites labeled 'unsafe' at 48 percent for at least one day in 2018.
Here is a list of the top five worst beaches in America due to high bacteria counts:
5. Gulfport East Beach, MS --- 44 days or 67 percent of the 66 days sampled were unsafe
4. Tanner Park, NY --- 48 days or 68 percent of the 71 days sampled were unsafe
3. Bay View West, OH --- 48 days or 69 percent of the 70 days sampled were unsafe
2. Cole Park #3, TX --- 52 days or 81 percent of the 64 days sampled were unsafe
1. Inner Cabrillo Beach, CA --- 85 days or 49 percent of the 175 days sampled were unsafe
For the full list, click here.
When the Clean Water Act was enacted in 1972 it was intended to eradicate water safety problems and make all waterways safe for swimming, but 47 years later swimmers are still being affected by contaminated water.
“Americans should be able to expect that water at our beaches is clean and safe for swimming. In fact, that was a key goal when our nation adopted the Clean Water Act in 1972,” Environment America stated in the report.
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According to the study, there are 57 million cases of recreational waterborne illness every year. Despite the study's findings, they still expect many people to enjoy the beach during the summer.