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Report lists America's most polluted beaches
On Tuesday, the Natural Resources Defense Council released its annual Testing the Waters report, which lists the most polluted beaches at the country's oceans, lakes and bays.
The worst offenders have been on the list for several years, with contamination levels exceeding national standards anywhere from 60% to 90% of the time. The top beaches for contamination include Shired Island, Florida; Kings at Stacy Brook, Massachusetts; and Joerse Park in Indiana.
The report lists the number of days that beaches were closed or that contamination warnings were issued. This year's number, 20,000, is one of the highest in the 19-year history of the report. The full report also shows how often each beach checks its contamination level. While the majority perform checks every day, others lack the funds and only check the water a few times a week, so contamination levels may actually be higher than reported at some beaches.
The biggest culprit of beach pollution: stormwater run-off and poorly designed sewage systems. For those of you as grossed out as I am right now, don't worry. The report also lists the beaches that are the cleanest.
Gallery: The World's Dirtiest Cities
Gallery: Top 10 beach hotels of the world
Filed under: North America, United States, News
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 2)
Gregory Dittmer Aug 7th 2009 12:47PM
I have yet to look at the list so I don't know if my area is listed, but there are certainly times is SHOULD be in the top 10. PCF talks about polls and needles... the bay side beach at Sandy Hook Gateway National Park is just across the bay from New York City... New York City has COMBINED street and sanitary sewers. In times of heavy rain, the sanitary sewers cannot process the water so the rain water mixed with raw sewerage dumps right into the water.
ANYTHING that can be flushed down a toilet has been found on the bay side beach... used condoms, tampon applicators, needles, crack vials, every size and shape of anything gross you can think of has washed up there at one time or another!
JD Aug 7th 2009 2:11PM
I'm not sure how much stock we can put in this article. Katie Hammel appears to be something of another nitwit, idiot, internet journalist with very poor fact checking skills/capabilities. The NRDC stands for "Natural" Resources Defense Council, NOT "National" as she writes. It's a global organization, not a US only one.
barbarella Aug 7th 2009 3:32PM
Why are so many people mindless pigs? Hard to believe anyone would be able to live with themselves by leaving garbage behind, even white trash hillbillies. No wonder the Native American is crying. I've seen camp sites here in beautiful Montana where scum bags who obviously didn't learn anything from their parents leave behind all kinds of trash (cig butts, cans, fishing crap, dirty diapers, etc.). It makes me want to puke and punch someone's face in, although I'm one of the least violent people on the planet. And, though I hope I'm wrong about this, I bet the pigs are mostly from in-state. If we can't even respect our own natural beauty, how can we expect others to? No wonder I hate most people. We are the most wasteful, careless, inconsiderate animals that ever evolved. All we want is convenience at any cost, and to discard our crap anywhere on earth. Ever here of pack it in, pack it out? It's not that difficult. If you enjoy arriving someplace that doesn't have human trash laying around, do the same for others. May the golden rule never die.
ang Aug 7th 2009 2:23PM
you wanna see ugly beaches , come to maimi beach hallover beach , there u will see some of the ugliest nude idiots alive
judd Aug 7th 2009 2:57PM
Time for a mountain vacation!!
pcf Aug 7th 2009 4:10PM
my comment back to Susan....i doubt if THOUSANDS upon THOUSANDS of these things were left by tourists...LOL
brian smith Aug 7th 2009 7:19PM
please...enough indignation. The biggest ocean polluter out there is the US military. Ive sailed through the waste dumped by a navy vessel off the Ca. coast..its bad. The city of San Diego has had EPA exemptions as long as I can remember and is still pumping primary treated waste 5 miles out off Point Loma. Most coastal Ca. towns treat their waste to some degree and then pump it out to sea. Bacterial infections are common for people surfing Cardiff when the currents bring the sewage back in towards shore. Nice?...eh?
Jim Aug 8th 2009 3:36PM
Dear Red White & You: As you were speaking about the water clarity of Bermuda, you said, "anyone with common sense knows the waters of the Caribbean are a different color". Bermuda is not now, nor will it ever be in the Caribbean. It lies in the Atlantic Ocean about 600 miles East of the Carolinas. Try curing your ignorance by looking at a globe or a map of the world, before documenting how little you know about geography.
The Man Aug 9th 2009 2:30PM
Since the media hides this i'll do my part to bring it out:
Obama Pelosi Reid and the rest of the democrat liberal socialists have a plan for you, Government control healthcare. Here are some benefits the media won't share with you:
1) Euthenizes the elderly, grandma, grandpa, when the government decides they are not worthy of medical treatment. YOU HAVE NO CHOICE.
2) Mandates funding murder of innocent children, Government (taxpayer) funded abortions. YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK.
3) Empowers atheist litigants to outlaw the healing power of the Christian faith, Removing christian symbols from government places even though the country is at least 70% christian. GOVERNMENT TELLING YOU WHAT TO DO.
4)Taxpayer Government funding of sex-change operations. Apparently this is more important than saving the lives of unborn children and elderly citizens.
This is the result of blindly electing a Hitler-esque President and a radical leftist controlled Senate, House of Representatives and now the Supreme Court. Wake up people! If you think you will have private options, you are sadly mistaken.
pete s Aug 9th 2009 4:32PM
Dumping sewage into the nearest body of water has been is not new. It has been done for thousands of years. Back too Ancient Greece and Rome.
I can not believe so many Did not know this. Just a lack of EDUMACATION
I guess, are school are not doing a fabulous job. Or some people are as dumb as a post.
joe Aug 9th 2009 6:00PM
Obama is a liar and a dictator that wants to destroy America.
hmenglish Aug 9th 2009 6:30PM
high island to sabine pass is terrible , the garbage is everywhere , texans need to wake up and look at this , take some of the lottery money that isn't going to the schools and clean up the texas coast .
henry
simply simon says Aug 9th 2009 7:16PM
hey Charles , you say you are now sitting behind a desk collecting paychecks for doing nothing - hell man - any openings there where you work ? That sounds like a job I can retire with .
choked up tuna Aug 9th 2009 7:21PM
this is about polluted water-ways and beaches - what the 'F' are you people talking about !?! chicken little must of had a very LARGE family .
d walsh Aug 9th 2009 7:37PM
Caribean waters look different than Northern waters due to type of organisims in the water.Potassium level. The great fishing in grand banks and Off new England is due to the potassium levels. Clarity of water is caused by many different things.
ryan Aug 9th 2009 7:26PM
sad to hear about these beaches, but at least we dont have oil rigs all along our coasts polluting them even more. None of our beaches would be safe had Mccain/Palin won the election. Thank God we Americans were smart enough to elect the right man. I love the beach. St. George Island in the Gulf of Mexico, just below Appilachicola Bay is a wonderful vacation spot.
Rob Aug 9th 2009 7:55PM
You wanna talk about dirty beaches.....come to the shores of Lake Erie here in Cleveland and Mentor Ohio. They are cespools. You never know what youre going to find there. Items from leftover food, to used condoms. Terrible. I wouldnt take my kids there if you paid me. Its a poor excuse for a beach.
Elizabeth Aug 18th 2009 3:26PM
We went to Gulf Shores, AL in June of this year and I was shocked to find the beach water like pond water! In all my years of going there every summer, and I have never had to wash my swimsuit out when I got back to the room! Please, someone tell me, is the water any better? We would like to go back for one last visit on Labor Day weekend. We do love the seafood and the atmosphere.