Which beaches are the dirtiest in America?
Before you take that plane, train, or car ride this summer to the seaside, you may want to make sure the beach you are planning to visit is clean.
According to the Natural Resources Defense Council's annual beach quality report, some of the country's most popular beaches are contaminated by storm water runoff and sewage that could cause stomach flu, skin rashes, pink eye, ear nose and throat problems,
The NRDC, in Testing the Waters: A Guide to Water Quality at Vacation Beaches
, looks at 2011 data collected by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from test results taken at more than 3,000 beaches nationwide and examines pollution factors, water testing practices and public notification systems.
Some of the dirtiest
Some of the top offenders in NRDC’s 2012 report are popular beaches in tourist areas such as California, Illinois, New York, and New Jersey, and they “violate public standards for health,” upwards of 25 percent of the time, Devine explained. The list is as follows:
--Avalon Beach in Los Angeles County, Calif.
--Doheny State Beach in Orange County, Calif.
--Winnetka Elder Park Beach in Cook County, Ill.
--North Point Marina North Beach in Lake County, Ill.
