BANGOR – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded a grant of $259,742 to the state to help protect public health and safety at beaches this season. The funding is part of a $10 million federal program designed to improve water quality monitoring and the notification and warning process if beaches must be closed.

Although state and local governments throughout the country monitor water quality and notify the public when threats arise, this federal initiative is intended to ensure that protection efforts are relatively equal across the country. Resources for this purpose are being made available to 35 states and territories. The EPA estimates that Americans make 910 million trips to coastal areas each year, spending about $44 billion.

“Our state is known for its rocky coast and pristine environment – which is why we must do all we can to prevent pollution and improve monitoring of water quality,” said U.S. Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins in a joint statement about the grant.

“This funding will help the state of Maine in its ongoing effort to ensure public health and safety along our magnificent coastline,” U.S. Rep. John Baldacci said in a separate release. “The EPA grant will support water quality monitoring and other initiatives designed to protect visitors to our beautiful beaches. In doing so, this funding also protects our economy which benefits from a safe and clean coastline.”

Additional beach information, including information for states interested in applying for the grants, is available on EPA’s beach Web site at: www.epa.gov/waterscience/beaches.

Maine beach information is available from the University of Maine at: www.geology.um. maine.edu/beach.