John McCarthy
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Virgin Islands has been awarded a small slice of $9.7 million from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Friday to monitor levels of illness-causing bacteria at swimming beaches.
The territory would be eligible to receive $126,000 once legal and administrative requirements were satisfied, EPA Regional Administrator Michael Martucci said in a media release. Puerto Rico would be eligible to receive $321,000.
To access the funds, the territory must have a water quality standards program in place approved by the EPA. Additionally, eligible entities must meet 11 performance criteria for implementing monitoring, assessment, and notification components of the beach program. Each grantee receives an amount based on the length of the beach season, the number of miles of shoreline and the populations of coastal counties, according to the EPA.
This funding is authorized by the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health Act to ensure that every American has access to clean and safe water.
