EPA provides $240,500 grant for Massachusetts beach monitoring

PROVIDENCE – The Mass. Department of Public Health has received $240,500 from the Environmental Protection Agency to support beach water quality monitoring and public notification efforts throughout the state, the EPA announced Tuesday.

This funding is authorized under the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health Act, which allows the EPA to provide grants to help states’ local governments monitor water quality at their beaches. These efforts are aimed at eliminating sources of water pollution that contribute to beach closures.

“Protecting Massachusetts’ beaches is critical to safeguarding public health and sustaining local economies, especially during the summer tourism season,” EPA New England Regional Administrator Alexandra Dunn said. “This funding enables our partners in Massachusetts to have the tools and resources they need to adequately monitor beach water quality and deliver timely information to the public.”

Nationally, the EPA will award up to $9.3 million in BEACH grants to 39 states and territories this year. Massachusetts’ grant is a portion of the $1.1 million the EPA will award to New England states this year for beach monitoring and reporting.

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Haley Hunt is a PBN contributing writer.