OCEAN CITY, NJ – Killer beach umbrellas likely don’t rank very highly on most Americans’ lists of top public policy concerns.

Two Democrat senators from East Coast states aren’t so sure. On Thursday, with Memorial Day Weekend right around the corner, Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) coauthored a letter with Virginia’s Mark Warner calling on the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to issue recommendations to beach goers.

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“As you know, beach umbrellas provide beachgoers the benefits of shade on hot and sunny days at the shore. Yet, a burst of wind can make these summer accessories harmful to those around them,” explained Menendez’s letter to Consumer Product Safety Commission Chair Elliot Kaye. “Over the last several years, reports of horrific injuries resulting from beach umbrellas have splashed across the media.”

“According to a query on the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s own website, from 2008-2017 over 31,000 people sought treatment at a hospital due to an umbrella-related injury. Unfortunately, the CPSC does not parse out the data to differentiate between types of umbrellas. Nonetheless, we request information regarding how the CPSC plans to address this issue,” the senators added.

Click here for the release and letter.

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