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Radio Script - Beaches 2008 (05/21/08)
Speaker: Region 3 Water Protection Division Director Jon Capacasa interviewed by EPA staff
Time: 03:00
BEACH INTERVIEW for Memorial Day Weekend
Intro: One third of Americans visit our coasts every year. We take almost 2 billion trips to the beach year and spend billions of dollars more in beach communities. Beaches are an important part of the coastal watersheds and inadequate protection and overuse can lead to destruction. EPA and the states work year-round to ensure that our beaches are safe and sound for your pleasure.
Q. How serious is beach pollution in general in the United States?
Generally our beaches are very clean. At any given time, about a quarter of the beaches across the US could have an advisory; those advisories are only once or twice a year, rather infrequent, and they're only 1-2 days in duration. So, we really only lose about 5% of beach days a year due to beach closures or advisories.
Q. What is polluting our beaches?
The pollution comes from several sources, such as leaking sewers or wastewater treatment plants that may leak raw sewage. Sometimes heavy storms can actually wash waste into the beaches. And the natural sources, such as animals waste and human waste from diapers.
Q. Are there any health risks to swimming in polluted waters
Some of the health risks are things that we are somewhat familiar with. If we eat or drink something that doesn't agree with our stomachs, we might have vomiting or diarrhea, the same things can happen with swimming in polluted water. Other symptoms may be eye or skin irritation and sometimes heavy cough. These are caused when we come into contact with pathogens or bacteria that can make us sick.
Q. How is EPA making sure that the nation's beaches are safe for swimming?
EPA and states and local communities do quite a bit to treat water and wastewater to make sure that it's clean. Over the last 30 years, EPA has given the states and the communities billions of dollars to build wastewater treatment plants, fix sewers, as well as specific funding to increase beach monitoring and public notification programs.
Q. How do we find out if the beach and water is okay to swim?
Visit the EPA beaches Web site at www.epa.gov/Region3. This Web site will also link you to your state Web site to receive the most up-to-date information on beach closures in your area.
Q. What can the public do to help protect the beaches?
- Do not throw or pour anything on the ground or down the storm drains – the polluted water may drain to the beach.
- If you have an underground septic system, make sure that it's operating correctly, make sure that it's been inspected
- And always, throw your trash away properly. Trash attracts animals and animals can leave waste which can make the waters unsafe to swim.
End: While we are all helping to keep our beaches and waters safe and clean, please also keep yourselves safe from the sun. Always use sunscreen, especially the SP-15 or higher, and apply it every two hours, and particularly after you get out of the water.
