Recent research has shown that ocean and Great Lakes beaches tainted with sewage or animal waste harbor bacteria and other pathogens that can lead to respiratory infections, earaches, and even meningitis. The EPA continues to monitor the safety of these beaches using outdated research that considers only the health effects of bacteria linked to gastrointestinal ailments. This past August, in a court settlement with NRDC, the agency agreed to undertake its own water quality research, with a plan to use the information to update safety standards for beaches by 2012.