Northwest Indiana beaches
Beaches with the highest percent of tests exceeding national E. coli levels in 2006:
Washington Park -- LaPorte County -- 31 percent
Dunes State Park east -- Porter County -- 20 percent
Whihala east end -- Lake County -- 18 percent
Dunes State Park west -- Porter County -- 15 percent
Mount Baldy -- LaPorte County -- 11 percent
West Beach -- Porter County -- 11 percent
Whihala west end -- Lake County -- 8 percent
Source: National Resources Defense Council, www.nrdc.org
CHICAGO | That Whihala Beach in Whiting was closed Tuesday seems no surprise, given report findings that Indiana and Illinois beaches are among the most bacterially contaminated in the country.
The National Resources Defense Council's annual report showed there were more beach closings last year than in the 17 years the group has been tracking them.
Nationally, beach closing and advisory days grew by 28 percent, to 29,785 in 2006, with the primary causes being rainfall and bacteria-laden stormwater and sewage pollution.
Closings of Indiana's lakeshore beaches decreased 15 percent to 111 days last year. Statewide in Illinois, closings and advisories increased slightly to 591 days.
Indiana and Illinois rank second and third, respectively, in percent of beach samples exceeding national E. coli standards. The results, the council warns, also can be attributed to the fact that both states test their beaches more than others.
"We have had probably more tests for our length of shoreline than anywhere else in the country," said Tom Anderson, executive director of the Save the Dunes Council, who admitted region beaches are a work in progress.
Although groups are making improvements, officials admit there still are glitches. The Web site Lake County uses to provide beach quality information, for example, did not show that Whihala had been closed Tuesday.
"I don't know how accurate or how current the Web site is," said Gordon Phillips, superintendent of Lake County's park operations. Getting testing results quickly and to the public in a timely fashion always has been an issue, Phillips said.
Anderson said environmental officials discussed the Web delays recently, and they're working to fix them.
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