Rhode Island's ocean and bay beaches ranked among the top 15 cleanest in the nation for beach water quality last year, according to a new report released by the Natural Resources Defense Council. As Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and Environment, which oversees federal funding of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Senator Reed has helped the state secure over $2 million in federal Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health grants since 2001, including about $212,000 in 2012.