Clean Water Advocacy - Newsroom - NACWA in the News
Report on Waterway Pollution Not a Surprise to Area Experts
By Elizabeth Williamson
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, August 4, 2006; B03
Bad news for Maryland contained in a new report on beach
contamination yesterday drew little surprise from those who know the region's
waterways, as the problem with bacteria, and the risky status of some of the
beaches cited, has existed, one environmental advocate said, "for years."
More than 200 beaches in two dozen states violated public health standards at
least a quarter of the time in 2005, including several beaches in Maryland,
according to a report released yesterday by the Natural Resources Defense
Council.
The full report, "Testing the Waters," which includes lists of Maryland,
Virginia and Delaware beaches and their testing results, is available at
http://www.nrdc.org.
In the report, three Maryland beaches -- Bay Country Campground
and Beach, Ferry Park and Rock Hall Beach, all in Kent County on the Eastern
Shore -- appear on the group's nationwide list of 22 "Beach Bums." The
designation means the beaches violated federal public health standards at least
half the time they were tested.
The persistent violations mean "there is a problem with bacterial contamination
at those beaches, and the likelihood of swimmers getting sick is greater," said
Nancy Stoner, Washington-based director of the Natural Resources Defense
Council's Clean Water Project. Federal standards recommend that beach water
samples contain fewer than 104 colonies of a bacterium whose presence signals
contamination by waste.
Severn riverkeeper Fred Kelly called the Maryland violations "not surprising."
More troubling, he said, was a public warning system he feels is more driven by
politics in Maryland -- which receives tens of millions of dollars each year
from recreational boaters and anglers -- than public health concerns.
"Anne Arundel County has failed miserably to protect our waterways from
stormwater runoff," he said. He believes inadequate storm-sewer construction and
renovation is a chief cause. "Add to that excessive heat we're getting from
global warming, you're basically creating a bacteria-laden body of water."
He said a one-stop source of information about waterborne health risks would be
wise.
On the part of state and county officials, "there's this fear that if we look,
we're going to find high levels of bacteria," said South riverkeeper Drew Koslow.
Sewage infrastructure problems "have really been below the radar in this state"
for years, he said. "Some of our highest bacteria counts are really close to
pumping stations after rains. I can't say they leaked, but we had astronomical
counts."
Maryland's dirtiest beaches, according to the report figures, include Town Point
at Arkhaven, Severn Grove and Annapolis Landing in Anne Arundel County; Lusby in
Calvert County; Chester River Yacht and Country Club, Bogles Wharf and Kinnards
Point in Kent County; and St. Clement Shores community beach, Wicomico Shores
and the Golden Beach community beach, boat ramp and small beach in St. Mary's
County.
Virginia reported 42 advisory or closure days for 55 coastal beaches tested. One
beach, Fairview Beach in King George County, failed to meet public health
standards in 27 percent of its weekly tests.