Fecal bacteria in ocean waters indicate that other disease-causing organisms may be present. The Oregon Beach Monitoring Program (OBMP) - which issues beach advisories - will be adopting new bacteria levels for their water testing. These new standards may sound good, but there are concerns that some states may have to cut back on water sampling and/or eliminate some of the beaches which currently are being monitored.
PUBLIC MEETING: October 20, Marshfield High School (Heritage Hall), S. 10th and Ingersoll St., Coos Bay, 6-9 pm.
The meeting in Coos Bay is 1 of 4 which OBMP and Oregon Dept of Environmental Quality will holding in Oregon. Their purposes are to provide information, solicit public feedback, and to answer questions.
Learn more before you attend, so that your questions and feedback can be relevant to the conversation - it is a complex situation, and many viewpoints contribute to a richer discussion.
See this excellent write-up for more information:
https://oregon.surfrider.org/oregon-beach-advisory-standards-to-change/
Additional Information
Information about DEQ’s rulemaking is posted on DEQ’s web pages:
Water Quality Standards for Bacteria Rulemaking
Water Quality Standards Revisions for Bacteria website
Information about the Beach Action Value (BAV) adoption is available on OHA's web page: