The Louisiana coastline is a cleaner and healthier place, according to a federal agency that has been tracking coastal contamination since the 1980s.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the results of testing show the Louisiana coastline has lower levels of industrial byproducts like PCBs and the pesticide DDT.

“We put up our sites in 1986,” said Gunnar Lauenstein, a program manager at NOAA. “We’ve continued to come back each year to see if there are continuing trends and there have been continuing trends, and there are good trends in Louisiana.”

The study also found declining levels of arsenic, copper and lead.

Scientists credit tougher environmental laws that came into play in the 70s for the change.

“A lot of the chemicals we call ‘chlorinated pesticides’ were banned in the 1970s,” said Lauenstein. “What’s interesting is that this ban of the 1970s is still showing results today.”

There are still some issues, including high levels of compounds related to oil used in cars and ships, and some activists say more needs to be done to improve the health of the coastline.

“Our wetlands are the crux of it all,” said Sidney Coffee, of America’s Wetland. “The better restored those wetlands are the better filters we have on the Gulf Coast.”

Coffee said the state will continue to face the dueling ideals of industry and environment and says that it’s vital to maintain a balance between maintaining the economy and the ecology.