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WASHINGTON, DC – Today Congressman Henry E. Brown, Jr. (S.C.) received the American Shore and Beach Protection Association’s (ASBPA) Friend of the Coast Award for his steadfast commitment to our nation’s coasts.
After the presentation, Brown made the following remarks:
“We in South Carolina know our coasts are among our greatest national treasures and I am grateful for the work that the American Shore and Beach Protection Association does to protect the health of our nation’s coasts. I appreciate their recognition today and look forward to continuing to work to ensure that future generations will enjoy healthy coasts and clean beaches.”
 ASBPA President Harry Simmons praised Rep. Brown as “a tireless and extremely effective advocate for coastal America. Since his election to the House of Representatives in 2000, Rep. Brown has been an outspoken advocate for the needs of coastal communities. Brown has continually criticized the Bush Administration’s lack of commitment to beach nourishment (click photo for larger version).
Brown was recognized for his work on the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Water Resources and the Environment, which is responsible for authorizing federal participation in coastal storm damage reduction and environmental infrastructure projects. Last year, Rep. Brown helped shepherd the long-overdue Water Resources Development Act through Congress, benefiting the inter-coastal water system as well as shallow and deepwater ports. Rep. Brown also led efforts to secure House passage of the BEACH Act reauthorization, which authorizes federal grants to help states utilize the latest technology to test beach waters for contaminants. He also worked on a bipartisan basis to add a requirement that the Environmental Protection Agency study the formula it uses for distributing grants that is currently based on year-round population instead of peak season beach usage, putting smaller beach towns at a disadvantage.
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