Beach Protection Act of 2008

A bill to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to modify provisions relating to beach monitoring, and for other purposes.

4/10/2008--Introduced.
Beach Protection Act of 2008 - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (popularly known as the Clean Water Act) to include among eligible grant activities the development and implementation of programs for source tracking, sanitary surveys, and prevention efforts to address the identified sources of beach water pollution. Authorizes appropriations for such grants for FY2008-FY2013. Requires grant recipients to identify:
(1) the use of a rapid testing method;
(2) measures for communication within 24 hours of the results of a water sample concerning pollutants to specified officials and all state agencies with authority to require the prevention or treatment of the sources of beach water pollution;
(3) measures to develop and implement a beach water pollution source identification and tracking program for the coastal recreation waters that are not meeting applicable water quality standards for pathogens;
(4) a publicly accessible and searchable global information system database with information updated within 24 hours of its availability, organized by beach and with defined standards, sampling plan, monitoring protocols, sampling results, and number and cause of beach closing and advisory days; and
(5) measures to ensure that closures or advisories are made or issued within 24 hours after a state government determines that its coastal recreation waters are not meeting applicable water quality standards for pathogens. Requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator to:
(1) publish a revised list of rapid testing methods; and
(2) validate such methods no later than two years after this Act's enactment and periodically thereafter. Sets forth provisions requiring:
(1) a review by the Administrator of state and local compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements and grant conditions;
(2) corrective actions by such governments not in compliance; and
(3) a review by the Comptroller General such compliance review and corrective action. Amends the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health Act of 2000 to authorize appropriations to carry out such Act through FY2013.


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Sponsor

• Sen. Frank Lautenberg [D, NJ]
• and 12 Co-Sponsors
  • Sen. Sherrod Brown [D, OH]
  • Sen. Benjamin Cardin [D, MD]
  • Sen. Hillary Clinton [D, NY]
  • Sen. Richard Durbin [D, IL]
  • Sen. John Kerry [D, MA]
  • Sen. Amy Klobuchar [D, MN]
  • Sen. Joseph Lieberman [I, CT]
  • Sen. Robert Menendez [D, NJ]
  • Sen. Charles Schumer [D, NY]
  • Sen. Debbie Ann Stabenow [D, MI]
  • Sen. George Voinovich [R, OH]
  • Sen. John Warner [R, VA]
  close

Committees

• Senate Environment and Public Works

Amendments

This bill has no amendments.

Amendments to S.2844

Number	Status	Purpose

Bill Status

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Introduced		Voted on by Senate		Voted on by House		Considered By President		Bill Becomes Law
April 10, 2008

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All Bill Actions

• Added to calendar on Jul 10, 2008: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 871..
• Jul 10, 2008: Committee on Environment and Public Works. Reported by Senator Boxer with amendments. With written report No. 110-414. Additional views filed.
• May 21, 2008: Committee on Environment and Public Works. Ordered to be reported with amendments favorably.
• Apr 10, 2008: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
• Introduced on Apr 10, 2008.

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Related Bills:

• H.R.2537
• S.1506

Related Issue Areas:

• Water quality
• Technology
• Standards
• Marine resources
• 15 more
• Marine pollution
• Governmental investigations
• Government publicity
• Government information
• Federal aid to water pollution control
• Environmental monitoring
• Environmental assessment
• Data banks
• Congressional reporting requirements
• Congressional investigations
• Congress
• Budgets
• Beaches
• Authorization
• Water pollution

Data from the Congressional Research Service

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Blog Coverage

August 04, 2008 Pollution study cites Cabrillo Beach

I urge you to support immediate passage of the Beach Protection Act (S. 2844). Our nation's beaches are contaminated with human and animal waste that can make swimmers sick, harm the environment and threaten coastal economies. ...

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August 01, 2008 Aug 01, 2008: Your Fight the Right-Wackos Links

Send a message urging your senators to push for passage of the Beach Protection Act (S. 2844). -- ** Public Citizen ** We trust nursing homes to make sure our loved ones are in a safe environment where they eat their meals on time, ...

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Source: Fighting the Right-Wing-Nuts, One E-mail at a Time

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July 24, 2008 Help Support the Beach Protection Act S.2844

Ever go swimming or surfing only to find out a week later, (when water testing results are sometimes published), that you swam in unhealthy and unsafe water? Want to get water quality data in hours, not days? ...

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Source: Buy-Rash-Guards.com Blog

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