The National Resources Defense Council has released its yearly survey of U.S. beaches and the results are not good.
The NRDC found that the number of beach closing and advisory days in 2011 reached the third-highest level in the 22-year history of the report. More than two-thirds of these closings occurred because of high bacteria levels—indicating human or animal waste—in the water.
Although the news is bad for travelers, it is equally alarming for businesses, especially in the travel sector. The NRDC site reports that approximately 85% of all U.S. tourism revenue comes through coastal states. It also cites a 2009 report by the National Ocean Economics Program that records U.S. shoreline-adjacent counties as contributing $5.7 trillion to the nations GDP, along with 48.6 million jobs.
The bottom line: dirty water and beach closings mean lost revenue.
The 2012 report gave the following U.S. beaches five stars (highest rating) for low violation rates and strong testing and safety practices:
· Alabama: Gulf Shores Public Beach
· Alabama: Gulf State Park Pavilion
· California: Bolsa Chica Beach
· California: Huntington State Beach, Brookhurst Street
· California: Newport Beach, 38th Street, 52nd/53rd Street
· Delaware: Dewey Beach
· Delaware: Rehoboth Beach – Rehoboth Ave.
by Gretchen Kelly
