As has long been promised, the new NRDC "Testing the Waters 2007" report has been released. And while a ItsYourNature summary is yet forthcoming (the thing ain't short!), it's well worth noting that this year we've gone above and beyond and built a real fancy map to complement the report. The "Your Oceans" Beachgoers Water Quality map features water health and safety data for 100 of the country's most popular beaches.
If you're planning a summer getaway, it'd be well worth your while to check out NRDC's soon forthcoming Testing the Waters report. The TTW is an annual survey conducted by NRDC specialists to document water quality--along with the credibility of public notifications of health concerns--at America's top beach destinations. What sort of info can you expect to find?
Maybe this isn't all that surprising, but it's still pretty disturbing. I just came across the results of a 2004 study that compared the relative health of California surfers from urban and rural areas. The results?
Last week, the government's General Accounting Office released a report confirming some pretty troubling news. In fact, this is probably the last thing you want to hear this time of year while checking the surf reports and planning that trip to coast. The GAO's report--not so succinctly titled, "The BEACH Act of 2000: EPA and States Have Made Progress Implementing the Act, but Further Actions Could Increase Public Health Protection"--basically chided the EPA (intergovernmental admonition!) for not keeping our nation's beaches safe for the public.
