This article is a good indication beaches can be cleaned up with proper enviromental controls.
Ten super clean beaches in America

Places we have been from Washington state through Texas along the Gulf then back up to North Carolina the majority of the beaches were in sad condition. The worst I had seen in our trips were in the Gulf near Louisiana and Eastern Texas. The trash along the beaches that had came down from the Missisippi then washed up on the beaches for hundred of miles was disgusting. Even at that I could only see the solid trash. By mere sight there is no telling how much chemical and septic waste was there. One could only see a greasy line of pollution where the water crested and then retracted in the sea.

The thing that bothers me the most is the fact it is a preventable mess. Sewage and municipal trash can be effectively dealt with in a manner that is sustainable for the nature we depend on for life here.

Our most delicate and beautiful ocean creatures are being swept away in death by the massive amounts of pollution that are put into the waterways from this nation that reach the lakes, rivers and ocean waters that wash up on shores. One farmer here called it "burndown". The use of chemicals so great that when the rains come the nearby streams are filled with dead fish and birds from the toxic waters. Thoughtless management of the land in order to gain a few extra bushels of corn or soybeans.

These chemicals satiate the ground and underground water supplies. This water will later be used by many people for drinking purposes. Cancer and other diseases runs rampant through the nation and people wonder why!

This nation as a whole has given its self over to greed and lust. Whether anyone likes that phrase or not it is the truth.

Planet Earth cannot keep on this course of man made destruction and sustain a decent quality of life.

Seven hundred billion dollars to maintain greedy mongrels that could care less. It is as if the people said let the brambles with briers and thorns rule over us.

Pensacola still has some of the best beaches - sugar white sand.

When we were there we stayed within a hundred feet of a beach. It was very nice. I loved the Magnolia trees also.

Magnolia trees make a lot of noise when the wind blows, but they look nice.