American Samoa is being awarded a grant of $302,000 by the US Environmental Protection Agency to monitor water quality at beaches and to notify the public if elevated levels of illness-causing bacteria make swimming unsafe.
The grant comes from a pool of $9.7 million announced on Friday by the USEPA for states, tribes, and territories.
“Millions of Americans will travel to the beach this summer to relax or play in the water. They will make lifelong memories and provide a boon to local economies,” said EPA Acting Assistant Administrator for Water Peggy Browne. “With $9.7 million from EPA, states and local authorities can help ensure that our beaches are open for business and that beachgoers can swim and splash without fear of getting sick.”
This funding is authorized by the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health (BEACH) Act, and it advances the goals of cooperative federalism and ensuring that every American has access to clean and safe water. Each of these goals supports EPA’s “Powering the Great American Comeback” initiative.
