Beach Protection Act of 2007

Floor Speech

Mr. BOOZMAN. Madam Chairman, I want to thank my colleague from Texas for offering this amendment.

While this amendment makes some technical and clarifying changes to H.R. 2537, the Beach Protection Act of 2007, it also makes some improvements to the bill since the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure favorably reported the legislation in December.

This amendment will require the Environmental Protection Agency to validate and prioritize rapid testing methods by October, 2010; encourage local officials to make publicly available within 24 hours the results of water quality samples; reduces the amount a community may receive if it does not take corrective action when waters are out of compliance with water quality standards; and encourages State and local officials to adopt appropriate coastal and beach water quality standards.

I urge all Members to support the Johnson amendment.

Madam Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

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Mr. BOOZMAN. I think that the gentlelady from California has a very good amendment. We certainly support it.

I think that requiring the EPA to update the national list of beaches program to alert the public to beaches that had occurrences of pollution is an excellent idea. I think it's a good tool in Congress' toolbox, as we exercise oversight over the EPA's BEACH program.

So I would urge Members to support the amendment.

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