One Day After TX Claims Improved Beach Quality, Green Group Finds 12% Annual Rise In Fecal Outbreaks

[hatrack]

A day after state officials declared water quality to be on the rise at Texas beaches, an environmental group reported that it found a 12 percent increase in confirmed outbreaks of dangerous fecal contamination along the coast last year.

The Texas General Land Office on Monday reported that water quality had improved at state beaches during the 2007 swim season, which runs from May through September. It said the number of beach days on which people were advised to avoid contact with the water decreased from 6 percent in 2006 to 5 percent in 2007.

On Tuesday, Environment Texas said the state agency had not considered an entire year's worth of data that shows the water quality at state beaches had decreased.

Using a report issued by the Natural Resources Defense Council, the environmental group said there had been 532 beach closings and health advisory days in Texas in 2007, up from 473 in 2006. Several beaches near Corpus Christi exceeded maximum bacteria levels by more than 25 percent, the group said. Authorities and environmentalists alike largely blame storm water runoff and aging drainage infrastructure for the pollution.

EDIT

http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/07/30/0730beaches.html

[On the Road]

1. "Fecal Outbreak"

conjures up a very scary image.

[bdf]

2. It does indeed. I didn't know that...

...they'd even let Tom Delay out of prison, let alone that he was giving campaign speeches on beaches.

[GliderGuider]

3. It gives new meaning to the phrase

"Well, I'll be dipped in shit!"

[XemaSab]

4. .

:poopcorn:

[DCKit]

5. Oh, those wacky Republics!!!

No doubt the "safe" beaches are those the commoners can't afford.