Chesterton Tribune                                                                                   Adv.

Report: Indiana's worst beaches not in Porter County

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EAST CHICAGO, Ind. (AP) — Indiana beaches on Lake Michigan were closed because of water quality concerns 111 times in 2007, nearly twice as often as in 2006, according to a report by an environmental group.

The worst beaches in Indiana were Jeorse Park near the marina in East Chicago and Washington Park in LaPorte County, the report said. Jeorse Park beach exceeded Indiana’s maximum acceptable level of E. coli bacteria 52 percent of the time samples were taken. Washington Park beach exceeded the limit 42 percent of the time, according to the report released Tuesday by the Natural Resources Defense Council. Most of the beaches sampled were in the teens.

“This report once again shows that we need to do a better job taking care of the Great Lakes,” said Henry Henderson, director of the Defense Council’s Midwest Program.

High levels of E. coli bacteria contribute to illnesses for swimmers, such as diarrhea, ear, nose and throat problems and hepatitis. It also hurts the tourism industry and the economy because the cost of closing a Lake Michigan beach is estimated at $8,000 to $37,000 per day, according to the report.

Across the country, beaches were closed more than 20,000 days for the third consecutive year, the report released Tuesday says.

“The number of closures for Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin indicate continuing problems for Lake Michigan,” said Tom Anderson, executive director of the Save the Dunes Council. “Likewise, most of our tributaries are impaired for E. coli, and until we eliminate at source, Lake Michigan will suffer.”

According to the report, high E. coli readings on Indiana beaches were due to stormwater overflows into Lake Michigan about 40 percent of the time. When it rains, untreated sewage and contaminated stormwater overflows past treatment plants into beach waters, carrying human and animal waste, garbage and bacteria into the water.

More than 60 percent of the time the cause of high readings was unknown.

“We need to be doing more in the way of research and investigation to get to what these issues are. Many of these are infrastructure issues that can be addressed and should be addressed,” Defense Council spokesman Josh Mogerman said.

 

Posted 7/31/2008

 

 

 

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