Michigan beach-goers should prepare for more closures because of pollution this summer.
That’s according to some environmental groups.
The Michigan Public Radio Netork’s Jake Neher has more.
The warning comes a day after the state released a report saying the number of closures dropped last year by about 17 percent.
But James Clift with the Michigan Environmental Council says people shouldn’t read too much into that.
“We still think there’s a long way to go as far as correcting some of the underlying problems here,” he says.
Clift says beach pollution is often caused when sewers overflow due to heavy rain. He says 2012 had fewer beach closures because it was a relatively dry year. He says the state needs to do more to help local governments manage sewer overflows.
The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality says it’s been ramping up efforts to address water pollution in recent years.