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EPA’s Whitman Provides Funds for Water Safety

Release Date: 07/12/2002
Contact Information: Peyton Fleming, EPA Press Office, 617-918-1008 Steffanie Bell, 202-320-7851

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Christie Whitman took steps today to help ensure the safety of water in the State of Maine. Whitman awarded two grants, from two different programs, one geared towards security planning at large public drinking water facilities, the other for beach monitoring.

Whitman awarded grants to the State of Maine and to the Portland Water District. The Portland Water District received $115,000 for water security planning. The state received $259,742 to be used to improve beach water monitoring and public notification at Ferry Beach in Saco and at other Maine beaches.

EPA is awarding $53 million in grant funds for security planning at large drinking water utilities. As of today, EPA has awarded 266 grants worth $30.5 million.

“These grants will help ensure that the water the people in Maine rely on is safe and secure,” said Whitman of the security grant, one of nearly 400 expected to be awarded around the nation. “Shortly after the terrorist attacks of September 11, the EPA redoubled efforts already underway to promote security at America’s 168,000 public drinking water supplies.”

In response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, EPA received a supplemental appropriation from Congress to improve the safety and security of the nation’s water supply. The nearly $90 million is intended to reduce the vulnerability of water utilities to terrorist attacks and to help enhance their security and ability to respond to emergency situations.

EPA is also helping in efforts to preserve and improve water quality at beaches around the country.

“As Americans head to the beach this summer, EPA also wants to ensure that beach water is safe for swimming and other recreational activities. Beaches are one of America’s top vacation locations. The beautiful Maine coast and southern Maine beaches draw tourists from throughout the U.S. and Canada and today’s grant can help preserve Maine’s beach water quality,” said Whitman later in the day at a press conference at Ferry Beach.

This year, EPA is making $10 million in beach monitoring grants available to Maine and to 34 other coastal and Great Lakes states and territories. These grant funds, available under the BEACH Act of 2000, will be used to monitor disease-causing microorganisms in beach waters and to warn beach goers when bacteria levels are high enough to show that waters may be unsafe for swimming. EPA estimates that Americans make a total of 910 million trips to coastal areas each year.

Joining Whitman in Saco was EPA New England Regional Administrator Robert W. Varney, who announced a Clean New England Beaches Initiative for Maine and the other four coastal states in the region. The initiative includes the beach grant program discussed by Whitman as well as an increased focus on pollution assessment work and designating nearly a dozen “Flagship” beaches across the region that will serve as models for improving beach water quality. Ferry Beach and Wells Beach were the Flagship beaches selected in Maine.

“While our waters are dramatically cleaner than they were 20 years ago, we still have too many beaches in New England that are closed on too many days in summer due to pollution,” Varney said, noting that 274 New England saltwater and freshwater beaches were closed at least one day last summer due to pollution.