The Oregon Health Authority is seeking public input on which beaches it should monitor for the next two years.
The list of currently-monitored beaches has 24 locations along the Oregon coast, including one in Lane County and seven in Lincoln County.
OHA is asking citizens to report issues such as scents or the presence of animal or human waste, such as dogs whose owners fail to pick up after them or improperly disposed-of diapers.
“If there are situations where you live near a beach that has regular sewage smells or maybe your community is aware of sicknesses of people who have been recreating on the beach, and you wonder if there’s a connection. That kind of information, which might not always reach Oregon Health Authority, could be helpful at this time,” said Recreational Waters Specialist Linda Novitski.
OHA and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, which work together to monitor bacteria levels at the beaches, have have relied on a mix of sources in the past, including public input. But it lost a key source of information.
Data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s environmental justice screening tool was taken down in January shortly after President Donald Trump was inaugurated. It allowed for the inclusion of socio-economic and other data about communities.
"Which might indicate communities that might be more susceptible to bacterial exposure or people who might not be able to recreate somewhere else if their local beach has high bacterial values," said Novitski.
A list of currently-monitored beaches and the form to comment on other potential beaches for monitoring is available here. The deadline to comment is Oct. 31.
