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Beach Water quality raises red flags - News 12

I just found a News 12 article specifically talking about Kiddie Beach and the recent report from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). The only problem is that everything in the report is wrong!

First off, they didn’t even get the name of the organization that released the report correct. The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) released the report, they incorrectly have it as the “Natural Resource Council”. It isn’t a big deal but it’s a sign of things to come and I’m sure the NRDC wouldn’t be too happy about giving a fictitious group credit for their report.

“News” 12 goes on to say that Kiddie Beach was shut down over 40 times due to “pollution”.

Kiddie Beach was never shut down over “pollution”. In fact the Department of Health did not close ANY of the beaches due to water quality in 2007.

Why is news 12 making up facts?

The facts are that Kiddie Beach is automatically issued a preemptive wet weather advisory after a rainfall of 0.2 inch per 2 hours or 0.4 inch per 24 hours. The rainwater all over the city runs off or is dumped into area water ways by millions of gallons.

These are the only reasons a beach can be closed.

1. Confirmed samples show that bathing beach water quality exceeds the following water quality standard for marine water beaches: Enterococci geometric mean shall not exceed 35 Colony Forming Units (CFU) per 100 ml for a series of five or more samples collected during a 30-day period.
2. Epidemiological data indicates a significant incidence of related illnesses or repeated complaints/reports of illness/injury received from beach patrons.
3. Sanitary and Safety Survey/Investigation: A sanitary and safety survey or an investigation reveals the presence of potentially hazardous amounts of floatable debris, medical/infectious waste, toxic contaminants, petroleum products or other contamination on the beach, or there is evidence of sewage and wastewater discharge in sufficient quantities that will adversely affect the quality of the beach water.
4. Any other environmental factors determined to be a public health or safety hazard by the NYCDOHMH.

Maybe writing and filiming stories in their cars without any research is a problem.

The water quality at New York State’s beaches is getting worse, according to a report by the Natural Resources Defense Council. The number of water samples taken at coastal and Great Lakes beaches that exceeded state standards for bacteria reached 11 percent in 2007, up from 9 percent in 2006. New York ranks eighth worse (out of 30 coastal states ) in terms of the percent of water samples taken at beaches that exceeded health standards. And it seems New York may have snagged the council’s prize for least forthcoming state.

On that measure, at least, the city does better by providing lots of data. And the environmental group’s report applauded the city’s monitoring of its beaches and its method of issuing advisories. But in describing the city’s pollution of its water, the report paints a sickening picture (particularly if you’ve been at the beach recently) of a witch’s brew of stormwater and sewage flowing into the sound and the ocean.

Despite that, the city’s beaches are cleaner than some of those on Long Island or along the Great Lakes.

As in previous years, the private Douglas Manor Beach was the city’s dirtiest by the report’s measure, with 20 percent of its samples exceeding standards. It was followed by Gerritsen/Kiddie where 14 percent of the sample did not meet health standards.

No city beaches ranked among New York’s worst. Fully 44 percent of the samples taken at the foulest beach — Suffolk’s County’s Tanner Park — exceeded state standards for bacteria. Next was Wright Park West in Chautauqua at 38 percent, Ontario Beach in Monroe (37 percent), Venetian Shores in Suffolk (33 percent), and Hamburg Bathing Beach and Woodlawn Beach-Woodlawn Beach State Park in Erie (both at 31 percent).

Kiddie/Gerritsen: threshold levels of 0.2 inch per 2 hours or 0.4 inch per 24 hours (advisory duration is 72 hours).

This picture is a great way to sum up this week. We’re all in this together!

Pictures and here is the same photo gallery as below.

and Video!

Kiddie Beach will be opening up soon so you might as well grab the application. If you have never signed up before why not give them a try this year.

Unfortunately the beach will not be open for the memorial day weekend. Volunteers are working on the snack stand, to bring it up to code with the health department and making lots of major structure upgrades.

As soon as the upgrades are complete Kiddie Beach will be able to open.

Kiddie Beach Membership Application

Kiddie Beach is going to be opening in a few months so you might as well get the Early Bird registration rates while you can.

Kiddie Beach will be having Registration every Thursday, starting next week at the Cort Club, until May 22nd from 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm, May 22nd being the last day for Early Bird Special.

Here is last years parade