Beaches Environmental Assessment, Closure, Health Act of 1990
| Date | Chamber | What was voted on | Result | Yes–No | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 23, 1990 | House · vote #510 | On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass | Passed | 326–89 | See who voted → |
Beaches Environmental Assessment, Closure, Health Act of 1990 - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to issue water quality criteria for pathogens in coastal recreation waters. Requires States to adopt water quality standards for such waters consistent with such criteria. Directs the Administrator to promulgate standards for States that fail to do so.
Requires the Administrator to publish regulations specifying methods to be used by States to monitor coastal recreation waters, during periods of use by the public, for compliance with standards. Directs States to notify local governments and the public of violations of water quality standards for coastal recreation waters.
Requires the Administrator to: (1) issue guidance on uniform assessment and monitoring procedures for floatable materials in coastal recreation waters; and (2) specify the conditions under which the presence of floatable material constitutes a threat to public health and safety.
Authorizes States to delegate responsibility for monitoring and posting of coastal recreation waters to local governments.
Directs the Administrator to conduct an ongoing study and report to the Congress on additional information for developing better indicators of detecting the presence of harmful bacteria and viruses in coastal recreation waters.
Requires State coastal zone management agencies to provide technical assistance to local governments to ensure that coastal recreation waters and beaches are as free as possible from floatable materials.
Amends the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 to authorize grants to eligible coastal States for the reduction of floatable materials in coastal recreation waters. Permits the use of grants for the acquisition of beach and coastal recreation water clean-up equipment.
Authorizes the Administrator to make grants to States to fulfill requirements under this Act. Limits the total amount of grants to States.
Authorizes appropriations.
See also H.R. 5835.