Skip to main content

Officials clash over beach contamination warnings

By WTOP Staff

JOHN FLESHER
AP Environmental Writer

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — A federal plan to lower thresholds for warning the public about contaminated beach water is drawing protests from state officials in the Great Lakes region and along the ocean coasts who say the revisions could unnecessarily scare away swimmers.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s draft plan drew a flood of negative reaction from state and local officials during a public comment period that ended May 28. The agency will consider the responses and issue a final decision by the end of July, said Betsy Southerland, science and technology director in the EPA’s Office of Water.

The EPA in 2012 updated decades-old recreational water quality criteria designed to guide all states in developing standards for protecting bathers from exposure to bacteria linked to fecal contamination. Officials in the Great Lakes region say they were told early this year by EPA’s regional office in Chicago they were in compliance.

But in April, the EPA announced additional requirements for coastal states to qualify for federal grants that help cover the costs of testing beach water quality. Among them were new triggers for advising the public about unsafe levels of bacterial pollution.

“We’re not chasing people off, not gating the parking lot,” Southerland said in an interview Monday. “They can swim if they want. But we’re warning them there’s a higher risk of illness if they do.”

Shannon Briggs, a toxicologist and beach monitoring coordinator with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, said the new conditions probably would cause her state and many others to forfeit this year’s grants — partly because they wouldn’t have time to get legislative approval as required under state law.

They also would likely cause a significant and unjustified increase in warnings and beach closures, she said.

“We see the new requirements as unattainable and not helping our beaches in a cost-effective manner,” Briggs said.

The EPA has awarded about $130 million in grants since 2000, under a program called the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health Act, or BEACH Act. About $10 million is allocated in a typical year. President Barack Obama’s administration has not included funding for the program in its last three budgets, but Congress has restored it.

Some state, tribal and local governments help pay for beach monitoring, but others rely entirely on the federal grants, which support testing at nearly 1,000 Great Lakes beaches. Only about 100 would be evaluated without the federal support, Briggs said.

Michigan’s typical yearly grant has been from $250,000 to $280,000. Florida usually gets about $500,000, while Texas has ranged from $359,000 to $408,220 in the past five years.

Beach cleanliness standards are based on numbers of bacteria detected in water samples that could cause nausea and diarrhea. Technicians measure E. coli levels at freshwater beaches such as those in the Great Lakes. They use a different bacterium, enterococcus, for ocean water measurements.

The dispute involves which levels are unsafe and should lead to public warnings or beach closures. The EPA’s 2012 recreational water quality standards set tougher thresholds based on new epidemiological studies, and states have until December 2015 to adopt them.

But in the meantime, the EPA has proposed using different numbers, known as “beach action values,” as the basis for this year’s grants. Some states already meet those standards, while others don’t.

The threshold in North Carolina, for example, is 104 colony forming units (CFUs) of enterococci bacteria per water sample. The beach action value for oceans would be as low as 60 CFUs.

“We think the 104 we’re currently using is protective of public health,” said J.D. Potts, manager of the state’s recreational water quality program. He said it would take two years to make all the changes that the EPA wants.

Sonya Carlson, New Hampshire’s beach program coordinator, said her state might opt out of the grant program because of “the unwarranted beach closures it will produce, and the impact that it will have on thousands of beach goers” who support the tourist economy.

Southerland, the EPA official, said using the beach action values this year would help state and local governments transition more smoothly to the new standards. The agency will consider a workable compliance timetable, she said.

The Natural Resources Defense Council, an advocacy group that last week issued its latest annual report on the health of the nation’s beaches, bases its ratings on the beach action values.

“People have a right to know when there are high levels of bacteria in the water,” said Steve Fleischli, the group’s water program director.

___

Follow John Flesher on Twitter at http://twitter.com/JohnFlesher

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote