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Residents press Orange Beach council to respond after report cites local waterways among state's least safe
Summary
A resident raised a USA Today item summarizing a report by Environmental America Research and Policy Center that named Dog River, Orange Beach, and Pirates Cove among Alabama’s least safe beaches; council and staff discussed testing procedures and agreed to investigate and report back.
During public comment, Robert Freeland read from a USA Today item summarizing a July 15 report by Environmental America Research and Policy Center that he said labeled "Dog River, Orange Beach, and Pirates Cove as the state's least safe beaches." He urged the council to investigate and either refute or address the claims so the negative item would not harm tourism and property values.
"I just wanted to bring to the attention of the council and some of the citizens ... a statement in USA Today, July 15. The report by Environmental America Research and Policy Center labeled Dog River, Orange Beach, and Pirates Cove as the state's least safe beaches," Freeland said, and asked who conducted the testing and whether the findings were accurate.
Council and staff responded that the Alabama Department of Public Health conducts routine beach and water testing and that, in their experience, local Gulf beaches have not been closed long term. Hayden Brown, who had earlier presented on derelict vessels, noted the state's involvement in derelict–shoreline notifications and urged follow-up with the reporter and the study’s authors. One council member said a similar item appeared focused on Wolf Bay rather than the Gulf beaches and that staff had attempted to contact the original reporter.
Council directed staff to review the report, gather testing data (including any swim advisories or sample results), and prepare follow-up information for the council. The council did not adopt any policy or funding action Aug. 5; members asked staff to report back with research and clarifications to address possible misattribution or errors in the published account.
Context and next steps: Staff said public-health testing is routine and that transient high-bacteria readings can follow heavy rain and runoff; the council requested a staff report about the report’s methodology, local sampling results, and whether the report misidentified Gulf beaches versus Wolf Bay.
