NMI beach pollution up in ’03

Temporary closures of beach sites in the Northern Marianas, which were mainly caused by high bacterial concentrations due to stormwater runoff sewage discharge, reached close to a thousand in 2003—over 5 percent of the total beach closures in the entire nation, according to an environmental report released Friday.

The continuous leaching of metals and synthetic organic compounds from the Puerto Rico dumpsite into the Saipan lagoon has also contributed to water pollution in the Commonwealth, according to the report released by New York-based environmental group Natural Resources Defense Council on Aug. 6.

“Stormwater runoff and faulty septic and sewage systems are reported as sources of beachwater contamination at all Northern Mariana beaches. Sewage, together with natural disturbances such as strong storms, is also a major factor in the degradation of Saipan’s coral reefs,” stated the report.

NRDC’s 2004 survey showed that there were 18,284 beach closures in the entire nation in 2003. The total reaches 22,201 upon the inclusion of extended day and permanent closures, which pertain to continuous closings of 7-13 consecutive weeks and beyond—the highest number recorded by NRDC in the last 14 years.

NRDC’s 2004 survey report, entitled Testing the Waters: A Guide to Water Quality at Vacation Beaches, graded U.S. coastal waters as generally fair to poor.

“National water-quality monitoring data reported by the states in the year 2000, the most recent national picture available from the Environmental Protection Agency, show that approximately 45 percent of waters assessed by the states are not clean enough to support basic uses such as fishing or swimming; i.e., they do not meet water quality standards,” the report said.

“Closings and advisories continue to rise while the sources of that pollution are usually not even identified, much less controlled. NRDC is issuing this report—the 14th annual Testing the Waters—as a reminder of how unchecked pollution continues to lower American’s quality of life and threatens public health,” it added.

Beach pollution poses health risks, especially when waters are contaminated with sewage, the report said. Exposure to polluted waters can result in a wide range of diseases, including ear, nose and throat problems, gastroenteritis, dysentery, hepatitis, and respiratory illnesses. The report said monitoring remains the best way to protect beachgoers until pollution sources are eliminated.

“Millions of Americans go to the beach every summer to enjoy the sun, the sand, and the surf,” said Nancy Stoner, director of NRDC’s Clean Water Project. “Too often they have to stay out of the water or risk getting sick.”

The report also highlighted the economic effects of polluted waters, citing a U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy report that ocean-related tourism and recreation contributed roughly $58 billion and 1.5 million jobs to the U.S. economy in 2000.

It recommended that the U.S. Congress fully fund the implementation of the federal Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health Act to enhance monitoring of beach water quality all over the nation.

The report noted exactly 944 beach closures in the CNMI for 2003, based on data obtained from the Division of Environmental Quality, which reported monitoring 85 beach sites during the year. The NRDC recorded only three beach closures in the CNMI in 2002, citing an EPA report.

In 2003, the EPA disclosed allotting over $300,000 in grant money for the islands’ use in protecting their beaches, which was made available pursuant to the BEACH Act. The NRDC report said the CNMI received a $303,510 grant in 2004.

For a complete copy of the report, visit http://www.nrdc.org/water/oceans/ttw/titinx.asp.