Better Public Notification of Polluted Water at Hawaii's Beaches
The goal of this campaign is to work with the Hawaii Department of Health to improve their beach public notification program to ensure that signs are posted at the beach to ensure that the public is aware of polluted conditions and can take appropriate steps to protect their health.
In 2016, we achieved a great victory in convincing the EPA to direct the Hawaii Department of Health (HDOH) to start posting signs at the beach whenever bacteria levels exceed or are expected to exceed health standards, in accordance with the State's BEACH Grant Guidance. Surfrider staff and chapter leaders from the Oahu and Kauai Chapter are continuing in this effort by meeting and collaborating with HDOH staff to ensure that their new public notification program provides the right information to the bathing public, where and when it is needed, to ensure that the public can make informed decisions to protect their health.