Letter to Chairman Jack Reed and Ranking Member Lisa Murkowski, Committee on Appropriations - Rochester's Beaches

Letter

Today, at Roger Robach Community Center at Lake Ontario Beach, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer sought to address serious concerns over the safety and condition of Rochester's Lake Ontario beaches by calling on the federal government to deliver two pots of critical funding that will help address frequent closures, high levels of bacteria, environmental degradation and invasive species. Lake Ontario waters off of Monroe County have been designated one of 31 national EPA "Areas of Concern" (AOC) and Ontario Beach has been named one of the nation's top 20 worst beaches by the Natural Resources Defense Council. Frequent beach closures and fewer swimmers and boaters are a hindrance to tourism and the local Rochester economy, and a blow to the quality of life for local residents. Schumer pushed to restore the $9.9 million BEACH Act grant funding which was recently zeroed out in the current FY14 budget, and goes towards critical monitoring of water quality and pollution to ensure waters are safe for swimming. Second, Schumer launched his sponsorship of Great Lakes Ecological and Economic Protection Act of 2013 (GLEEPA) which will direct funding and resources specifically to Areas of Concern to aid in the cleanup of pollution, sediment and restoration of the beaches and wetlands. Schumer's goal is to get Rochester area beaches off the EPA's Area of Concern list by 2016.

"Ontario Beach, Durand-Eastman Beach, and Hamlin Beach are tremendous natural and economic resources that attract swimmers, tourists, fishers, boaters, and economic development, but their potential is being held back by pollution and poor water quality. We must take steps to resolve the long term water quality in this region and I believe my two-pronged plan for federal investment is the trick," said Schumer. "To that end, I'm pushing to restore the $9.9M BEACH Act grant funding in the current FY14 budget so that Monroe County can continue to count on this funding every summer to help cover the cost of their daily water quality testing and pollution monitoring. I am also pushing new federal legislation that would direct resources specifically to "areas of concern' to restore the environmental safety of these beaches, restore clean habitats and waters for boaters and fishing, and ensure the safety day in and day out for local swimmers. Most importantly, the restoration of the Monroe County beaches will keep them open for more days each summer, allowing residents and tourists alike to enjoy the beaches and boost the local economy."

The poor water quality and environmental degradation from pollution, contaminated sediments, and invasive species have led to local fish consumption advisories, and several days of beach closings each summer. The environmental concerns regarding the beaches were so severe that in 1981 the international board that governs the great lakes designated the lake Ontario Waters off of Monroe County as 1 of only 31 "Areas of Concern" (AOC). This area -- called the Rochester Embayment Area of Concern -- stretches from the Lake Ontario waters in the Town of Parma in the west to the shoreline of the Town of Webster in the east. The connected bodies of water like Irondequoit Bay, Braddocks Bay, and the Genesee River are also included in the AOC. The Natural Resources Defense Council's (NRDC) annual report card on America's beaches released last week, named Ontario Beach as one of the nation's Top 20 worst beaches due to bacteria and water quality.

Every swimming season, Monroe County's 3 beach together are closed typically 30% to 50% of the time due to high bacteria levels and poor water quality. For example:

· Durand-Eastman was closed 10 days in 2012 and 21 days in 2011

· Ontario Beach was closed 18 days in 2012 and 24 days in 2011

· Hamlins Beaches were closed 4 days in 2012 and 8 days in 2011

After 30 years as an Area of Concern, local officials now are hoping to clean up the Rochester AOC enough that it can be delisted or listed as "in recovery" by 2016. Over the course of 30 years, only 2 of the 31 AOCs have been cleaned up enough to be delisted or designated "in recovery" and Senator Schumer wants Rochester to be the next by 2016. Schumer argued that his ambitious goal could be reached with strong federal support. Schumer noted that significant federal investment will be needed to clean up pollution, fight aquatic bacteria and invasives, and restore areas that have suffered environmental degradation. The first prong of Schumer's plan is to restore $9.9 million in funding to the BEACH Act. Since the BEACH Act was created in 2001, more than $5 million has come to NYS and $73,000 for Monroe's Beaches. But now, funding has been zeroed out in the pending FY14 federal budget. Losing this important funding will force states and regions to eliminate, or significantly curtail, their beach water quality monitoring programs, endangering public health.

To help meet the aim of delisting our Rochester Area of Concern by 2016, Senator Schumer is also sponsoring the Great Lakes Ecological and Economic Protection Act of 2013 (GLEEPA) which will direct funding and resources specifically to Areas of Concern though a variety of programs. The first program is the Great Lakes Legacy Program which funds the remediation of contaminated sediment specifically within areas of concern. This program expired in 2008 and while some money has been appropriated to it since 2008 as a stop-gap measure, GLEEPA would fully reauthorize it at full funding levels.

The second program is the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), which is a federal inter-agency effort that cleans up toxic pollution, combats invasive species, keeps watersheds and beaches clean, and restores wetlands. Schumer's bill would once and for all fully authorize this program and fund it at its full level of $475M a year.

In order to be delisted by 2016, 10 targets must be resolved: among these targets are items like degradation of fish and wildlife populations, beach closures, and the presence of undesirable algae. To meet the 2016 goal, Schumer pushed his two-part plan by writing members of the appropriations committee regarding the funding levels of the Beach Act and by sponsoring the Great Lakes Ecological and Economic Protection Act of 2013 to provide.permanent, full-funding of the GLRI. Schumer noted that Rochester will have a special advantage in securing these GLRI funds because funding will be focused on places like Rochester that have been designated Areas of Concern by the EPA.

Schumer continued, "For too many Rochester residents and visitors to Monroe County shoreline, it's not always a day at the beach. I plan on stepping-up my efforts to bring more federal dollars to the restoration of the Lake Ontario beaches--to improve the environment and make our waters safer for swimming, to keep the beaches open more days so residents and tourists can enjoy them, and to tap into their potential as an economic resource for the greater Rochester region."

A copy of Senator Schumer's letter to Senators Reed and Murkowski appears below:

The Honorable Jack Reed, Chairman

The Honorable Lisa Murkowski, Ranking Member

Committee on Appropriations

Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies

United States Senate

Washington, DC 20510

July 2, 2013

Americans deserve to know that the water is safe when they go to the beach. In order to provide this assurance, we write to urge you to fund the BEACH Act grant program in FY 2014 at FY 2012 enacted levels of approximately $9.9 million. Since the BEACH Act became law in 2000, water quality testing grants have benefitted coastal communities from New Jersey to California, Maine to Florida, and the Great Lakes to the Gulf Coast.

America's beaches and lakeshores are some of our country's greatest natural resources. Families across the country look forward to beach vacations and expect that it is safe to go in the water. BEACH Act grants allow states to conduct water quality tests and post warning signs or even close beaches when bacteria levels indicate the water is too contaminated.

The grants also help state governments develop and implement programs to inform the public about the risk of exposure to disease-causing microorganisms in the water at our nation's beaches. Swimming in polluted water exposes people to pathogens that can cause gastrointestinal illness, skin rashes and ear, eye and staph infections. The elimination of these BEACH Act grant funds will likely result in a reduction of information about these important public health concerns.

Since the BEACH Act was enacted in 2000, the frequency of water quality monitoring has increased nationwide, helping states and localities to identify the scope of contamination and improve public safety. Through this program, the Environmental Protection Agency has made more than $111 million available for BEACH Act grants. As a result, the number of monitored beaches more than tripled to more than 3,600 in 2010.

We all share the goal of protecting the health of swimmers and other recreational water users. Without adequate funding, many states will eliminate or significantly curtail their beach water quality monitoring programs. With 24,091 beach closures and advisories last year, funding for beach monitoring is as critical as ever.

Sincerely,

Charles E. Schumer

U.S. Senator

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