This year, beaches in ten states, Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin, are on the list. (See complete list below.)

�The summer travel season is expected to be stronger than it has been in years, according to the Travel Industry Association of America, and beaches are one of the most popular destinations,� stated Walter McLeod, President of the Clean Beaches Council. �Even though millions of Americans spend time at beaches, there is still no easy way to determine which are clean and well managed. Our program is the only one of its kind that helps vacationers select beaches that don�t pose a serious health risk and are also managed to protect the environment and beach wildlife.�

The Clean Beaches Council presented Greater Fort Lauderdale, Florida with the organization�s first annual �Best Beach Management Project� award. Fort Lauderdale is launching two pilot projects that will test replenishing the area�s erosion-prone shoreline with �sand� made from ground-up recycled glass bottles. (Glass and sand are composed of similar materials.)

�This beach management project represents the kind of innovative, outside-the-box thinking that we need to assure the sustainability of our beaches,� stated McLeod. �Certainly, there is still a great deal of research to be done, particularly on the impacts of glass-generated sand on wildlife. But these two experiments offer an opportunity to find a cost-effective, environmentally smart solution to the widespread erosion that most of the nation�s beaches are now experiencing. Rather than having to mine the ocean for sand to replace eroded areas, we can use what is recycled right in our back yards. This solution may be a win-win.�

Currently, 21 miles of the 23 miles of Broward County�s beaches � including Pompano Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Dania, Deerfield, and Hollywood � are critically eroded. The project, if successful, would solve several environmental problems: 1) expand the shrinking market for recycled glass, 2) help communities re-nourish their beaches without importing expensive sand from faraway places, and 3) mitigate the need to excavate ocean sand which destroys marine ecosystems.

Now in its sixth year, the non-profit Clean Beaches Council (www.cleanbeaches.org) runs the most comprehensive, national environmental and public safety beach certification program in the country. For the public, the program provides a �good housekeeping� stamp of approval for beaches, giving visitors an enjoyable vacation and peace of mind. For beach communities, it is an �eco-label� which means the beach has met a set of rigorous health and safety standards and is managed to protect the natural environment.

In order to be certified, applicants must meet the program�s criteria for water quality, beach and intertidal conditions, safety, services, habitat conservation, erosion management, public information and education. Beaches that meet these criteria receive the Blue Wave flag, the symbol of the program, which is prominently displayed beachside.

The Clean Beaches Council has certified the following Blue Wave beaches around the country:

2004 Blue Wave Beaches

Alabama (1)
 � Gulf Shores Beach

Delaware (2)
 � Bethany Beach
 � Lewes Beach

Florida (Panhandle) (18)
 � Inlet Beach
 � Rosemary Beach
 � Seacrest
 � Seagrove
 � Seaside
 � Watercolor
 � Grayton
 � Blue Mountain
 � Santa Rosa
 � Dune Allen
 � Sandestin
 � Seascape
 � Miramar
 � Deer Lake State Park
 � Grayton Beach State Park
 � Topsail Hill Preserve State Park
 � Panama City Beach
 � Pensacola Beach

Florida (Gulf Coast) (8)
 � Fort DeSoto Park Beach
 � St. Pete Beach Access
 � St. Petersburg/Treasure Island Beach
 � Sand Key Park Beach
 � Clearwater City Beach
 � Honeymoon Island State Park
 � Caladesi Island State Park
 � Fred Howard Park Beach

Florida (South West) (3)
 � Siesta Key Beach
 � Venice Beach
 � Caspersen Beach

Florida (North Atlantic) (2)
 � Jacksonville Beach
 � Katherine Abbey Hannah Park

Florida (Central Atlantic) (6)
 � Cherie Down Park
 � Indialantic Boardwalk Beach
 � Alan Shepard Park
 � Ocean Park
 � Spessard Holland Park
 � Pepper Park Beach

Florida (South Atlantic) (6)
 � Hollywood Beach
 � Dania Beach
 � Fort Lauderdale Beach
 � Pompano Beach
 � Deerfield Beach
 � Delray Beach

Michigan (1)
 � Pere Marquette Beach

New Jersey (1)
 � Stone Harbor

North Carolina (1)
 � Carolina Beach

South Carolina (1)
 � Isle of Palms

Texas (1)
 � Rockport Beach

Virginia (1)
 � Virginia Beach

Wisconsin (1)
 � North Beach, City of Racine

About Clean Beaches Council
The United States coast, where the land and rivers meet the sea and great waters, is a special, valuable and complex place. Coastal recreation, maritime commerce, and jobs such as fishing make the coast a vital part of the American way of life. While progress has been made in recent years to protect this great national resource, the safety, health, and environmental conditions of many areas continues to deteriorate. Clean Beaches Council was established to seek solutions to these problems.

Clean Beaches Council Organization
Clean Beaches Council is a 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit organization devoted to sustaining America's beaches. The Council was launched in the spring of 1998, the United Nation's "International Year of the Ocean." Since its inception, CBC has developed innovative approaches to coastal management and protection of human health and the environment. Our flagship program is the Blue Wave Campaign - America's first environmental certification program for beaches.

A board of directors and advisors representing a broad consortium of academic, conservation, business, government, and health interests governs the Council.

Contact:
Clean Beaches Council
1225 New York Avenue, NW - Suite 450
Washington, DC 20005
voice: 202-682-9507
fax: 202-682-9506
E-Mail