The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) will receive $257,428 under a Project Grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 1. The grant funding supports MDPH's efforts under the Beach Monitoring and Notification Program Implementation Grants, which provides assistance to eligible coastal states and territories to develop and implement beach water quality monitoring and public notification programs as required under Section 518(e) of the Clean Water Act.
Specifically, MDPH will use the funding to collect water samples from approximately 600 locations at over 500 marine beaches in Massachusetts to test for bacteriological water quality. MDPH staff will maintain the program's website and issue public notifications when waters exceed applicable water quality standards or are deemed safe for swimming. By the completion date of August 31, 2024, MDPH anticipates delivering an updated quality assurance project plan, an annual report summarizing program activities and data, and analysis and reporting of all beach water samples collected. The intended beneficiaries are those who recreate in Massachusetts marine coastal waters. No subawards are included in this assistance agreement.