NEWNow you can listen to Fox News articles!
If you’re still nailing summer vacation plans, you might want to hit the beaches of southern California on your list.
The nonprofit environmental group Heal the Bay has ranked the Santa Monica Pier among the Golden State’s most polluted beaches for the fifth year in a row.
TOURIST HOT SPOT LAUGH DOWN ON A CHINESE SETUP WITH $500 SUNSHADE CANOPIES.
The Pier beaches are one of the most popular tourist spots in the state. The landmark is “a world-renowned icon of Southern California” that draws more than 9 million visitors each year, reports Pacific Park, an amusement park on the Santa Monica Pier.
The Santa Monica Pier beaches attract millions of visitors each year who come to enjoy the culture of southern California. (Juliana Yamada/Getty Images)
Heal the Bay’s annual Beach Report Card tracks the amount of sewage pollution measured on ocean beaches “from sites in Mexico near Tijuana all the way up the coast through Washington.”
For the second year in a row, the Santa Monica Pier came in second on Heal the Bay’s 36th list of “Beach Bummers” that includes “chronic pollution from urban waters, bacteria hotspots and aging infrastructure.” Playa Blanca, Tijuana, ranked first.
Heal the Bay went on to report that rain and runoff and sewage spills affect coastal waters.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
The Santa Monica Pier has made the Beach Bummers list 15 of the last 21 years, despite efforts to improve water quality.
“City of Santa Monica improvements, such as storm water retention systems and the installation of bird netting, have been implemented to reduce pollution,” Heal the Bay said in its report.
The Santa Monica Pier beaches have received a poor rating related to their bacteria levels over the past several years. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
“While many of these improvements have been accompanied by temporary improvements in water quality, bacteria levels have grown since then. These ongoing problems highlight the need for continued investment and maintenance to improve local environmental health.”
Beaches battered by hurricanes and areas of chronic pollution “remain significant issues” at the Santa Monica Pier, the report said. The group also said it has formed a team with the City of Santa Monica to determine the cause of the Pier pollution, “which will help inform recommended solutions.”
CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE NEWS
Twenty-one California beaches made Heal the Bay’s “Honor List,” which recognizes consistently excellent conditions. That number is down from 62 last year. Bluff Cove, Palos Verdes Estates in Los Angeles County took the top spot on the Honor Roll.
Public health officials have advised people not to swim in the waters off Santa Monica Pier beaches by 2025 due to high levels of bacteria. (Juliana Yamada/Getty Images)
According to Heal the Bay, sewage pollution is “of great concern because even a single exposure can lead to illness.”
The Environmental Protection Agency has reported that swimming, diving or diving in water contaminated with sewage bacteria can lead to serious infection and illness.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS PROGRAM
Areas around the Santa Monica Pier were placed under a public health advisory due to high levels of bacteria in the ocean water last year, Fox News Digital reported.
In Florida, the Miami-Dade County Department of Health (DOH Miami-Dade) recently issued a water quality advisory for Crandon Park North in Key Biscayne because levels of fecal-related bacteria exceeded state standards.
CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR LIFE NEWSLETTER
DOH Miami-Dade has advised against any activities related to ocean water “due to the increased risk of illness for swimmers.”
The Washington State Department of Natural Resources advises people to avoid contact with fresh or sea water for at least 24 hours after heavy rain and drains or streams that flow directly to the coast.
