Report: NY, NJ Had More Than 1,800 Beach Closings, Advisories

A new report says pollution prompted more than 1,800 beach closings or advisories along the Atlantic and Great Lakes coasts in New York and New Jersey last summer.

The 23rd annual beach quality report released Wednesday by the Natural Resources Defense Council analyzed government data on water testing at more than 3,000 beaches nationwide. It found there were 1,871 closing and advisory days between New York and New Jersey last year.

The most common cause of contamination was storm water runoff, with sewage overflows also a factor.

The report says lingering damage from Hurricane Sandy has caused nine beaches to remain closed. Sewage pollution from Sandy's flooding didn't contribute to annual beach-closing numbers because it happened after the 2012 swimming season ended.

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