Beach Closings Rise in Michigan USA (wgvu) - BAY CITY, Mich. (AP) - The number of days that state beaches
were closed or placed under advisories because of water quality
concerns jumped 60 percent last year.
That's according to an analysis of federal data by the Natural
Resources Defense Council. It found Michigan beaches on the Great
Lakes were closed or put under advisories 198 days last year,
compared with 124 in 2006.
The report says levels increased from 2006. But they were 15
percent less compared to 2005 levels of 234 closing or advisory
days.
State experts say the council's statistics don't tell the whole
story. The state performed $100,000 worth of additional beach
testing in 2007.
Toxicologist Shannon Briggs says 97 percent of the time samples
come back meeting health standards.
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