SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION No. 36

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

INTRODUCED OCTOBER 3, 1996

By Senators KYRILLOS, BENNETT and Ciesla

A Joint Resolution memorializing Congress to enact legislation establishing uniform national minimum ocean water quality standards and testing procedures for public beaches.

    Be It Resolved by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

Whereas, The nation's coastline is a major natural and scenic resource providing innumerable recreational, commercial, and aesthetic benefits important to the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of, and visitors to, every coastal state; and

Whereas, The value of these benefits is heavily dependent on ocean water quality, and poor ocean water quality is a potential threat to public health and to the vitality of the coastal tourism industry; and

Whereas, The ocean water quality standards and testing procedures of the State of New Jersey are among the most stringent in the nation, with careful and frequent monitoring forming a key component of the State's efforts to safeguard the public health; and

Whereas, Many other states have much less stringent standards and less frequent testing, thereby giving the appearance that their ocean waters are cleaner than those in New Jersey when in reality that may not be the case; and

Whereas, This misconception not only results in a significant negative economic impact upon New Jersey's coastal tourism industry but may also have important health consequences if the public is swimming in the waters of other states that are actually more polluted than the public realizes; now, therefore,

    Be It Resolved by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

    1. The Congress of the United States is respectfully memorialized to enact legislation establishing uniform national minimum ocean water quality standards and testing procedures for public beaches.

    2. Duly authenticated copies of this joint resolution shall be transmitted to the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the Majority and Minority Leaders of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives, the Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the Region II Administrator of that agency, the Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, and every member of Congress elected from this State.

    3. This joint resolution shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

    This joint resolution would memorialize Congress to enact legislation establishing uniform national minimum ocean water quality standards and testing procedures for public beaches.

Memorializes Congress to enact uniform national minimum ocean water quality standards and testing procedures for public beaches.