EPA announces $382,000 grant to monitor bacteria at Texas beaches
Texas beachgoers may soon be better protected against bacteria thanks to a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency.
The EPA is planning to send $382,000 to the Texas General Land Office to monitor water quality and bacteria levels along Texas beaches.
Experts say elevated levels of bacteria can make swimming unsafe and can cause severe illness in swimmers.
The funding is authorized under a law called the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health (BEACH) Act. It is designed to reduce the risk of disease to people who use the nation's coastal recreation waters.
To be eligible for the grant, recipients must have a water quality standards program and meet certain criteria.
Each grantee receives an amount based on the length of the beach season, the number of miles of shoreline, and the population of coastal counties.
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